Loving Scarlett (Part Five)
by LadyBJKD
Summary: 5th in the Scarlett Series (re:Remembering Scarlett;Knowing Scarlett;Keeping Scarlett;Scarlett Holiday) Spencer and Scarlett are adjusting to married life and their new daughter Noreen, but someone from Scarlett's past and the demons in Reid's own mind can threaten their new found happiness. Can they make it work together? Thanks to CatGurl as always! M for some language/situations
1. Chapter 1

_Loving Scarlett_

Chapter 1

Scarlett sat through the court proceedings that were scheduled ahead of hers. She watched her sister squirm in her seat for the millionth time and rested her arm across her shoulders.

"Nervous, shortcake?" she asked Noreen with a gentle smile. The girl shook her head and whispered back.

"No, I'm not nervous..." she answered. "I'm bored..." she pouted. "Why does this have to take so long?" she asked, bottom lip protruding slightly. "They add so many unnecessary words into all this, when all they really need to do is sign our paperwork..."

Scarlett grinned, looking down at the face so much like her own. "I know! If they'd all just cut to chase, the world would be so much simpler..." she rolled her eyes.

Fran looked over at the two. "Keep your voices down," she admonished with a slight grin of her own. Having the two of them staying with her for these few days while Noreen's parental rights were filed had been a joy for her, although sometimes it was a trial to keep up with them.

Scarlett looked over at her mother and grinned wickedly. "Sorry Mama," she responded but winked at Norie.

They stood as their names were called to approach the bench.

"This is it, kiddo," Scarlett took Norie's hand. "You're sure this is what you want?" she asked.

"Yes... I can have the best of both sides this way..." Noreen nodded. "I can still see my friends, go to the same school I always have, and still stay with you and Spencer whenever I want..."

Scarlett nodded. In the months that Noreen had previously stayed with her and Reid, she'd had to travel twice to Chicago on her own when cases pulled the team away. Although Norie was responsible and more than willing to keep doing that, they'd all discussed the arrangements at length. Norie had been happiest to stay with Fran in Chicago, with the stipulation that Scarlett kept primary custody and she could visit at any time there was a break between school and cases, like she had over Christmas time.

Neither of them mentioned the fact that Noreen's adoption papers were being processed in the background of all of this.

Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache worked its way up her neck. These proceedings had kept her off the latest case; the stress of which had built into a migraine from worrying about, and missing Spencer. If the case took any longer to resolve, Scarlett was considering changing her flight to meet up with the team in Chula Vista...

The judge spoke to them, reviewed the agreement before him, and then spoke directly to Noreen. After a bit more clarification and discussion, he signed the paperwork to be filed at the courthouse. Noreen Rowan, for the time being, was now officially Scarlett's ward, with Fran Morgan listed as holding active rights to custody and care. The three hugged each other tightly as the judge signed off and congratulated them.

"I think this calls for ice cream," Scarlett grinned as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Large sundaes dripping in chocolate sauce all around!"

Norie stuck her head up between the seats. "Can I get marshmallow on mine?" she smiled.

"As much as you want baby girl," Scarlett laughed and looked over at her sister. "As long as you don't bounce off the walls later..." she teased.

Norie made a face in the rearview mirror. "I don't bounce," she grinned back. "I'm highly intellectual and easily bored," she chirped mimicking her school counselor.

"Speaking of..." Scarlett caught Norie's eye in the mirror. "What did Mr. Bowman say about getting you into the advanced classes?"

The girl shrugged. "I start AP Calculus on Monday and AP History next week. They said I aced the placement tests and will consider bumping me up a grade for next fall..."

Scarlett nodded. "Would you want to do that?" she asked. "Move up grades out of your age group?"

"I'd rather take AP classes and stay with my friends..." she murmured.

"Then that's what you'll do..." Scarlett assured her.

"Really?" Norie smiled brightly. "Is it that simple?"

Frannie looked over her shoulder at the girl. "Sweetie, we want you to be happy. We can figure out ways to challenge your brain and keep you interested in school and still be with your friends. I managed with your sister," she winked. "We'll figure out what works with you…"

Scarlett's phone rang as they were pulling into the ice cream parlor. When she saw Spencer's number, she answered it brightly.

"Hey there farm boy," she stated as she held the receiver to her ear. "Did you guys catch a break yet?" she asked.

"Yeah," Spencer's voice reached her ear and she felt a tingle up her spine. "We got a lead on his location and the missing girl, we're heading in now..."

"Oh," Scarlett couldn't keep the worry out of her voice as she pictured him in his kevlar vest. She took a steadying breath and let it out on a sigh. "Be careful Spence, please? And tell my brother I said so too... all of you..."

"We will Scarlett... I promise," he hesitated a moment and Scarlett could hear voices in the background.

"I gotta go," he told her quietly. "I love you crazy girl..."

"As I love you, farm boy..." she replied and disconnected the call.

Scarlett headed into the parlor with a screaming migraine and little appetite for a sundae.

Fran noticed the change immediately. "Everything okay baby?" she asked as Scarlett took a seat between them.

"They found the perp," she told them. "They're going to take him in now... it'll all be closed out soon..."

Norie watched her sister's face. "You're worried," she pinched her own face in concern. "Are Spencer and Uncle Derek going to be okay?" she asked.

"I'm not worried," Scarlett lied. She saw Noreen scowl. "Sweetie, they'll be fine," she insisted as she reached over for a menu, trying to appear less nervous.

"This is a cake walk... round 'em up, haul 'em in," she teased. "Now for more pressing matters, what toppings do I want?" she scanned the list before her.

Norie watched Scarlett a minute longer before looking at her own menu. "I think I want a banana split," she ordered.

"That sounds perfect," Scarlett agreed. She caught her mother's worried gaze but just shook her head. She wasn't going to dwell on the case. The team would be fine...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Scarlett picked up her phone as she crossed her mother's kitchen and stepped out the back doors to the deck. She kept her voice light while she was within earshot of her sister and mother.

"Hey D, how'd everything go?" she asked. "You catch the bad guy?"

"Not really," Morgan responded. "He won't be kidnapping anyone else ever though..."

Scarlett listened to her brother's voice as he explained how the unsub had managed to kidnap a daughter of an ex-hit man for the mob who was under witness protection.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Scarlett her head. "What in the hell are the odds of that?"

"Tell me about it," Morgan chuckled. "Not the kidnapper's lucky day... the guy killed him. He got to his daughter before us... ah, Scarlett..."

"What?" she gripped the phone a little tighter. "What's wrong?"

"Reid was in there, when the guy shot the kid, executed him actually... he was trying to talk him out of it, since he was first on scene, but the guy didn't have it in him to walk away..."

"Oh, boy..." Scarlett breathed a deep sigh. "How's Spence taking it?"

"Quietly... too quiet, ya know? He's not talking about it, a bit in shock maybe..."

Scarlett understood. That would be Spencer's way of dealing with it in front of the team.

"When are you guys heading back?"

"Now... We're heading to the airport. Reid's in the other car, I'm here with Rossi..."

"Okay... alright. I have to meet with Noreen's teachers tomorrow... I'll catch the first flight home after that..."

"You'll do no such thing."

Scarlett jumped a little at her mother's voice came from behind her. She had been listening to Derek so intently she hadn't heard the doors open.

"What?" she asked looking between her mother and Norie.

"Is something wrong with Spence?" Norie asked, worry filling her eyes.

"No, no, baby everyone is fine, I'm talking to Uncle Morgan now..." she crossed the patio to pull Norie into her hug. Scarlett looked at her mom.

"Everyone is okay, heading back home as we speak... It's just that the unsub was killed, murdered, in front of Spencer. He's fine... Just..."

"That has to be difficult, mentally, unsub or not..." Fran finished for her.

"Yeah, especially since he was a little more than a kid..." Scarlett added.

"So that's all the more reason for you to head home. I can take care of the school paperwork for Norie," Fran told her. "Spencer needs you right now."

Scarlett looked from her mother to the girl. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I can wait one night..." she said but even as the words came out of her mouth, she felt a tug in her heart. Spencer needed her.

"According to the paperwork filed today, I can legally deal with anything concerning Noreen's care as much as you can, Katy. And I have more experience with the school system than you," she said with a slight smile.

Scarlett turned to Norie. "I can stay," she told her sister.

Norie shook her head. "No. I'm fine here. You need to go to Spencer. He doesn't have anyone there if he has nightmares... I've got Mama," she said taking Fran's hand.

Frannie's eyes filled with tears as Norie said that.

"Oh, now you've done it..." Scarlett felt the tears prick in her own eyes. She wiped at them furiously as she spoke into the phone.

"D, I'll book the next flight and try to be home tonight. I'll call Spence later with the details..."

"Okay, Katy-bird. Catch you later... And give that little one a kiss from me for making Mom so happy, alright?" Morgan responded.

"I will, Derek..." she told him and disconnected the call.

Scarlett pulled Norie into a bear hug and kissed her forehead. "That's from Uncle Derek..." she told the girl. Rocking her slightly in her arms she added another kiss to her hair.

"That's from me," she said softly. "I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have so much love in my life..."

"Me too," Norie looked up at Scarlett and hugged her tight. "I'll help you pack, but you have to promise you'll be back soon," she added.

"I promise, sweetie..."

Fran followed them into the bedroom they were sharing. She pulled Scarlett's bag from the closet as she listened to her daughter make phone calls to airlines. Norie sat on the edge of the bed petting Walter and watching her sister.

After some debate with a customer service rep over scheduling, Scarlett had managed to find a flight back home through a cancellation but it wasn't until tomorrow morning.

"Okay, right..." she huffed, looking at the clock. "That's fine..."

When she hung up the phone, she looked at her mother. "I could probably rent a car and get there faster..." she said angrily. "By the time I deal with all the crap with the airlines... and if I start now, traffic would be lighter..." she looked at the clock again. It was only noon. "I'd be home by midnight..."

Norie handed Scarlett her packed bag. "Then you should drive," she told her. "Spencer doesn't even have the kitties waiting for him at home," she frowned.

Scarlett kissed her sister's cheek lightly. "They are happier here with you baby. We will come back soon to visit, and vice versa," she promised, turning towards her mother.

"Can you give me a ride to the rental agency?" she asked, her decision made that quickly. Ever since she'd hung up with Derek, she felt a need to get home to Reid. Waiting to catch a plane seemed counterproductive.

Fran nodded. "Let's get you home, Katy..."

As they drove to the rental station, Scarlett nervously rattled off a list of things she'd wanted to talk to the school counselors about on Norie's behalf. She continued talking even as she reloaded her bags into the trunk of her rental car.

"Scarlett," Frannie stopped her for a moment. "I've got this handled here, sweetie. You don't need to worry about Norie or her school, I promise."

"I know," Scarlett blew out a breath. "I just wish I could be two places at once..." she took Noreen's hand in her own.

"I'm going to miss seeing your cheeky grin, little one," she told her as she kissed her. "I'll come back soon, I promise..."

"I'll miss you too, Scarlett," Norie wrapped her arms around her sister's waist. "I promise I'll do good in school... I'll make you proud..."

Scarlett kissed the little girl's hair, pulled back a little, giving her a smile. "You already do, Norie..."

She moved over to embrace her mother. "I'll call you when I'm home, Mama, I promise."

"You'd better," Fran hugged her tightly. "And drive safely, please..."

"I will," Scarlett let herself into the driver's seat to start her trip home. She looked back in the rear view mirror, watching the pair wave goodbye.

Steeling herself against the tears that threatened, she focused on the road that would take her back to Spencer.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Reid paced the floor of the apartment to move to stare out the window once again. He'd heard from Scarlett earlier that day when she'd called, leaving him a voice mail to tell him she was driving home, along with the fact her phone battery was dying. He hadn't been able to reach her back since then. He looked over to the clock, calculating in his head, then looked back towards the window. She should have been here at least two hours ago by his timing.

He turned away from the window with a sigh, telling himself not to worry. She could have come through some traffic or construction that held her up... he pulled up images in his mind of delays along the highways that he could remember she'd take...

Spencer quickly opened his eyes again when a vision of the kid came into his head... laying on the floor before him, as the shot sounded in the small room... falling back as his head exploded...

He felt the sweat start to bead his skin as the scene replayed itself. His hands shook as he went into the bathroom to wash his face. Looking at himself in the mirror, Spencer could still see the shock in his own eyes. He scrubbed at his face, wishing away the visions in his head.

Moving to the linen closet, he reached in to pull out some face cloths and felt small bottles brush up against his hand. Taking down the two small vials, he looked at the Dilaudid. He felt himself tremble.

"Shit..."

Spencer stomped across the floor, palming the vials in one hand. He shifted them back and forth, wondering why he hadn't tossed them out years ago...

Scarlett unlocked the apartment door and dropped her bag to the floor. She noticed immediately the tenseness of his stance as he paced with his back towards her. She felt the strain reach out to her in a wave. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard her come in.

Moving behind him, she reached out and splayed the palm of her hand between is shoulder blades.

Spencer jumped with a yelp and turned around to face her. She saw the wild look in his eyes just before he focused in on her.

"Jesus, Scarlett! You scared a year off my life!" he squeaked out as he grabbed her close.

He held her back out at arm's length, studying her face. "What took so long? I've been worrying about you for over ninety four minutes and twenty seven seconds... you should have been here sooner... Why did you drive home instead of flying? What..."

Scarlett silenced his barrage of questions by pulling him forward into her kiss.

Spencer felt his blood flash and burn under his skin as he pulled her up against him. He tasted her mouth greedily, feeling her return the kiss with equal fervor.

"God, I missed you," he cupped the back of her head in his hand as he kissed her again.

Scarlett pulled back a little, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Hello, boy," she said with a grin.

Spencer smiled, feeling a weight lift off his heart.

"Hello, girl," he replied, pulling in for another kiss.

"I missed you too, Spence," Scarlett brushed her thumbs across his cheeks. "I hit traffic for a while, just out of state, I stopped to refuel and get food, and I couldn't get a flight earlier than tomorrow morning..." she laughed as she replied to all of his questions. "I'm sorry my phone died... I didn't want you to worry, lover, but I wanted to get home as soon as possible..." she told him as she stared into his eyes.

"Morgan told you..." Reid stated as he watched the concern in Scarlett's gaze. "About what happened today..."

"Yeah, I talked to him before I left..." she rubbed her cheek against his, taking his hand. "How are you holding up?"

Spencer shifted his eyes, looking over her head. "I'm handling it..." he told her.

Scarlett cocked her head slightly before reaching up to tug his hair. "Now look into my eyes and lie to me," she warned him.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Looking down at her, he shook his head.

"It sucks. I can't get that kid's face out of my head. I close my eyes and that's all I see, over and over..." he shuddered.

"Then, I forgot I even had these... I found them in the closet..." he opened his hand and showed her the vials.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow as she read the label. She didn't say anything, just covered his hand with hers.

"Do you think that these would help bury the images, Spencer?" she asked softly, running her thumb across his fingers.

"No..." he shook his head. "I'm throwing them out," he told her honestly. "But..." he huffed out a tense breath as he squeezed her hand.

"Scarlett, I can feel the cravings again," he told her, even as his face heated in embarrassment. "I haven't felt them in a while, but they are back..." his brow knitted in concern.

"It's okay, baby..." Scarlett told him, running her hand up his arm. "You've fought them off before..."

"I know... It's just... I thought they were gone for good, you know? I thought I was finally free... but now, I'm standing here holding these instead of throwing them away... and I can't stop _thinking_..." he admitted as he pulled away from her. He started pacing again, twisting the vials in his hand.

Scarlett moved out of his way, sitting on the couch to watch him.

"I've studied the literature..." he began to talk again as he paced. Scarlett listened although it seemed like he spoke more to himself than to her.

"I know the symptoms of a craving, I know they say that anything could trigger one, even after years of sobriety..." he turned again, glancing quickly to his hand then back out the window.

"Studies have proven that an addict can have relapses even after years of being clean... I don't want to have a relapse... I don't want to take drugs to hide away from the things I've seen..." he rubbed his free hand over his face and back through his hair.

"I just want to stop seeing that boy's face every time I close my fucking eyes," he snarled. "I didn't do something right, I screwed up... and now he's dead..." he flung the bottles against the wall. They didn't break, instead they bounced onto the carpet at Scarlett's feet.

Scarlett sighed as she reached down to pick them up. She sat back farther on the couch, looking up at Spencer. The pain in his eyes was tangible, a living thing eating at his soul.

How many times had she'd seen that look in her own eyes, wondering if a quick fix would have been a lovely oblivion instead of the hell of memories? She'd never tried drugs just for the simple reason that they terrified her. She feared she'd never stop if the choice was there...

Yet he had the drugs forced on him, under horrific conditions, so he knew the taste of the darkness. He knew they'd help him forget. Wasn't that so much worse?

Scarlett set the vials back onto the coffee table in front of her. She couldn't make the choices for him.

"Spencer, I know what it's like to close your eyes and see those things haunt you over and over, trust me. I'm still tripping over those landmines. I can't even tell you it will get better tomorrow, or the next day... There are no guarantees as to how long it takes before they fade. Some don't ever go away completely. I can't even tell you that using wouldn't help... because I have no idea if it would or wouldn't," she looked up at him as she stood.

"All I can promise you, Spence, is that I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you, whatever choices you make..." she told him as she headed into the bedroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

When he came into the room after only a few moments, she sent him a questioning glance.

"Really, Scarlett? Did you think I'd choose the drugs?" he asked, incredulously. "I threw them out. I intended to the minute I found them. There wasn't any choice to make..."

Scarlett sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean it to sound that way, Spencer," she clarified. "I don't know what you are going through. It kills me to see you feeling the cravings, wanting the escape, and not knowing how to fix that for you..."

She watched as Reid crossed the room to come kneel in front of her. He looked up into her eyes, willing her to understand.

"The cravings are there Scarlett, and that scares me... but you... you're here and you're more of a drug to me than anything else. I'd never choose the darkness over standing in your light..." he told her as he took her hands.

"I can't tell you that I'll never feel the urges... I can only promise that the need to be with you is stronger..."

"And if I hadn't made it home tonight?" she asked softly.

"I would have still thrown them away, Scarlett. I swear to you. I would've paced the floor all night to keep from having to close my eyes... but I wouldn't have used. I knew you were coming..." he shifted closer between her knees so he could lean into her chest. "I knew you'd be here as soon as you could..."

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. "I'm always with you, farm boy. No matter what, I'll always be near..." she ran her hands through his hair, stroking his back gently. "I love you, Spencer..."

He shuddered slightly, turning his face to hers.

"Help me forget, Scarlett," he asked her. "Help me to close my eyes and see something else," he begged.

Scarlett held his face gently in her hands, running her thumbs gently down his cheeks.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Don't close your eyes... just watch me, boy," she told him huskily. She kept her eyes locked onto his as she moved to stand before him. He shifted back slightly, never breaking the contact. She looked down at him, unbuttoning her shirt. When his gaze shifted slightly, she lifted his chin with her fingers, correcting him.

"Watch my eyes, Spencer Reid..." she teased, leaning forward to kiss his forehead.

His eyes wrinkled slightly in the corners when he smiled. "That's not going to be easy," he told her as he felt her moving to take off her bra, keeping his hazel gaze locked onto her eyes.

"I didn't say it would be," she grinned, reaching down to remove his shirt. She slid to her knees in front of him as she tugged it from his shoulders. He watched her pupils dilate as her breasts brushed against his chest.

He ran his fingertips from her collarbone down across her breasts to her navel. He heard the change in her breathing and watched her eyes darken under his touch.

"Not easy for you either," he murmured, leaning forward to meet her lips. She watched his eyes drift to close before he caught himself, opening them. Meeting his kiss with their eyes locked was a different experience altogether. He felt her tremble slightly under him.

Scarlett reached over and removed his belt as she stood up. He followed her to his feet, unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them down her hips. When he trailed his fingers down her spine, he saw the heat bank in her eyes.

"I don't like things to be easy," Scarlett told him, moving up to her toes to nip at his lip. "Easy isn't worth it..." she said as she slid his pants off his lean frame.

Scarlett moved away from him for a moment as she picked up the remote for the stereo system. She lit some candles along her low dresser as the low music of 'The Civil Wars' Dance Me to the End of Love', filled the room.

"Dance with me, farm boy..." she leaned her body against his in the soft light, returning her gaze to his.

Reid watched the light flicker in her eyes and groaned softly as he took her in his arms. "I was thinking of a dozen different things, Scarlett, dancing wasn't one of them..." he teased as he bit her bottom lip. He picked up the lyrics and began to sing them softly back to her as he held her close…

 _Dance me to your beauty like a burning violin; Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in… Lift me like an olive branch, be my homeward dove- And dance me to the end of love, Please dance me, to the end of love…_

 _Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone, Oh let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon… Oh show me slowly what I only know the limits of- And dance me to the end of love, please dance me, to the end of love_

 _La la, la la la, la la, la la la, la la, la la la_

"Mmm... dancing with you naked is sexy," she teased, letting her hands wander over his skin.

"Anything with you naked is sexy," he pulled her closer, tipping her chin up so he could kiss her again. "Kissing you... touching you..." his voice dropped to a whisper as he became more aroused. Scarlett pulled back just a fraction, giving him a slight grin as she finished the words to the song…

 _Oh dance me to the wedding now, oh, dance me on and on; And dance me very tenderly and dance me very long… We're both of us beneath our love, and both of us above… And dance me to the end of love, ooh… Won't you dance me to the end of love?_

 _La la, la la la, la la, la la la, la la, la la la_

Scarlett watched his eyes deepen in color. She laughed when he lifted her easily off her feet, pulling her up against his chest. She locked her legs around his waist and her arms over his shoulders.

"Don't you dare drop me, Reid," she warned him with a chuckle.

He nuzzled her neck. "Never, crazy girl..." he took a few steps forward, bracing her back against the wall, seeing her eyes widen in surprise. He grinned.

"Do you mind?" he asked with a smile still playing around his lips as he adjusted his stance against her, sliding inside her. When she only bit her lip and moaned, he felt a surge of male pride.

"No?" he asked her, watching her. She shook her head wordlessly, holding on to him. "I kind of like seeing you speechless," he teased.

In this position he was face to face with her. When her eyes drifted closed, he nudged her softly.

"Watch my eyes, Scarlett Reid," he ordered her using her own rules. When she obeyed, he captured her mouth under his as he took her to the edge of passion.

Keeping their eyes locked on each other, they watched the fire burn through them together. Scarlett felt her heart speed up, racing in her chest against his. Sweat slicked between them as she felt herself tense around him just as he came with her.

Bracing his hands to the wall behind her, Spencer held himself upright, still looking into her eyes.

Scarlett kissed him again, this time closing her eyes, lowering her face to his neck.

"Bed, please..." she said weakly, smiling when he laughed.

Spencer hiked her up on his waist to carry her over to the bed. He knelt over her for a moment, kissing her before shifting to lay by her side. Scarlett snuggled into him, pillowing her head on his shoulder. He felt her fingers trail lightly over his ribs, tickling him softly.

Scarlett watched the candlelight flicker through the room, scenting the area in vanilla and lavender. Her music still played low in the background... she could pick out strains of Enya at the moment, as she continued to brush her fingers along Reid's skin. She knew the moment he fell asleep by the change in his breathing.

She moved carefully not to disturb him, climbing out of bed.

Scarlett watched the bedroom doorway, making sure Spencer still slept. Padding across the living room, she crossed the living space, stopping in the kitchen to grab the vials from the trash and ducked into the study where she'd set up her altar.

Opening her grimoire, she found the spell quickly, reciting the words aloud once for her own ears, to remember it forever. She added some changes to her writing, making the spell her own, and cast her circle.

She broke open the bottles into a small bowl, lighting candles in an inner circle to surround the bowl. Closing her eyes, she pictured Spencer's face in her mind as she recited the words again, three times. Circling the bowl in salt, she dropped some into the mixture of the dilaudid. Taking a small white candle, she lit it from the inner circle, dropping its wax into the liquid.

"As I will, so mote it be..." she breathed onto the candle she held, blowing it out, then moved to extinguish the other candles, in reverse. She quickly closed the circle and cleaned up the small ritual.

Scarlett didn't want Spencer to know she had felt the need to perform a strengthening spell. But the look in his eyes earlier, coupled with his brush with the withdrawals that he'd had from the Haloperidol, had made her feel nervous for him. If there was nothing else for her to do, at least she could give him this...

Moving back through the kitchen, she tossed the remnants of the vials back into the trash.

She heard him shout as she crossed the living room.

"Shit..." Scarlett ran quickly back into the bedroom, catching him into an embrace as he sat up in bed.

Spencer was shaking, covered in sweat.

"It's okay, farm boy... it's alright..." she held onto him tightly, pulling him back against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her, hanging on.

"Scarlett, why did he have to kill that kid? He could have let him live... we had him! He wasn't getting away..."

Scarlett shivered slightly, hearing the pain in his voice. "I don't know farm boy," she crooned softly, kissing his hair, brushing it back from his face.

"Some people don't have it in them to walk away," she said, using Derek's words from earlier. "I don't know why..."

"I tried to get him to... I thought he was going to put the gun down... but his daughter was telling him to shoot..." Spencer pressed his face into her neck, trying to block out the images.

"Ah, God..." Scarlett shook her head. "Violence begets violence... I guess she learned well," she said as she kissed his forehead. "It's not your fault, boy. There wasn't anything that you or anyone else could have said that would've changed that outcome, once she'd asked him to do it..."

"But, maybe..."

"No," Scarlett took his chin in her hand, lifting his face to meet her eyes. "Nothing, Spencer. He loves his daughter. They know violence. She grew up with it. The swift judgment of the bullet... that's what he knows- it's what he'd taught her... Once she asked, then it was sealed..."

"I could have..." Spencer began again, but Scarlett pressed her finger against his lips.

"If I had asked you to pull the trigger, that day that Rowan was standing before us... If I was _begging_ you to do it... would anyone else have been able to stop you?"

Scarlett watched his eyes as he considered what she'd just said. The lines between his brows deepened as his concern became anger, and then changed to resignation.

"No," he said softly, looking into her eyes. "I couldn't have stopped myself if you had been asking. No one could have stopped me..." he responded, understanding.

"But... I would have gone to jail," Spencer told her. "This guy- he's getting away with murdering a _kid_..." he shuddered slightly. "The marshals are already relocating him and his daughter. There is no justice to that..."

Spencer closed his eyes, leaning against her chest. He listened to her heart beating under his ear and sighed.

Scarlett stroked his hair, feeling him settle against her. "I know, baby. Sometimes the system fails us. He should have to pay his price, for this and many others, I'm sure..." she said, pressing a kiss to his hair.

"I believe karma will make him pay. Maybe not soon enough to suit us, but it will come."

Spencer moved away, lifting his hands to her face, looking into her eyes. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as he held her gaze.

"You truly believe that? No doubts... no question... just that people eventually get what is coming to them?" he asked.

"Yes, Spencer. That's what I know. Sometimes things don't work out how we'd like, or we see injustices in the world and wonder 'If there is a greater good or a higher power- how can it let things like these happen?' But I believe in those cases, it's not meant for us to know. It's not something for us to handle. Karma will deal with it, in its own time, and there will be a reason for that time, for that moment. It's a much bigger picture than you or I could imagine..."

"I wish I could have your faith..." Reid stated.

"I'll lend you some," Scarlett smiled softly, reaching to kiss his lips. "I have enough to share..."

Spencer breathed in her scent, taking her mouth with his, tasting her lips. "Scarlett- I need some peace..." he told her honestly, as he felt the anger with the situation gnawing at his mind.

"I can help..." she told him as she moved to her knees on the bed, pulling him with her so they were face to face. "Just clear your mind, and follow me..." she breathed slowly, willing him to do the same.

"Deep breaths, Spence. In through your nose, out through your mouth," she smiled softly, watching him struggle with the process. She dropped a kiss to his lips, leaning forward until he was resting back against the pillows once again.

"Just listen to the sound of my voice, boy..."

She spoke softly and evenly, repeating sonnets he had read to her over time. Keeping her voice even, she watched as he dropped back into a deep sleep.

Scarlett laid her ear over his heart, letting its steady beat take her into her own slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Spencer awoke to the sunlight warming on his face. He closed his eyes tighter, not wanting to wake up yet. He'd managed to get a few hours of sleep without the images plaguing him... selfishly, he wanted more. He turned his head away from the light, pressing his face into Scarlett's neck. He felt her run her fingers through his hair.

"You are awake?" he mumbled, holding her tighter. It was a silly question, since she always awoke just before dawn to start her day. He heard her chuckle as she dropped a kiss to his head.

"I'm awake, farm boy..." she told him, running her fingers across his hair again. "I've been for awhile, but I like watching you sleep," she teased.

"I was probably snoring..." he muttered against her skin, kissing her neck lightly as she giggled. The sound made him smile, so he nipped her again.

"No snoring, sweet boy... but you talk in your sleep," Scarlett said, inching away from his tickling lips.

"You're tickling me with your scruff..." she scratched his jaw where the beard was growing in, giggling again.

Spencer rubbed his cheek along the sensitive skin at her collarbone, loving the sound of her laughter. When she squealed and shifted to move away, he held her tighter.

"What did I talk about, then, while I was sleeping, you little eavesdropper..." he teased, rubbing his jaw alongside her neck until she squirmed under him.

Scarlett laughed, tugging his hair lightly to pull him away from her neck.

"It's not eavesdropping if I'm laying right beside you, boy!" she teased, scooting down under him so she could tickle his ribs. He rolled off her to avoid her fingers.

"Okay, okay! I give..." he laughed as she followed him, tickling him mercilessly.

Spencer pulled her up into the crook of his arm, holding her hands tightly. He lifted them, kissing her fingers, pausing over each ring.

"I love you, farm boy..." Scarlett smiled, watching him. "So very much..." she lifted her face to meet his, kissing him.

"Good morning, Spencer," she grinned.

"Good morning, Scarlett," he said as he brushed his nose against hers, stealing another kiss. "I love you too, beautiful crazy girl..."

Scarlett lay still for a moment, taking in the memory. She closed her eyes, holding on to the sounds, the smells, everything... and committed it into her mind.

Reid watched her, saw her lips moving, repeating a song in her head.

"Which one?" he asked, not recognizing the words he read from her lips.

Scarlett smiled softly, opening her eyes to his hazel gaze.

"I just heard it on the radio on the way home to you..." she told him. "It's called 'Feel Again' by OneRepublic, " she shrugged slightly. "I liked it, it fits me..."

Spencer reached over to her phone, pulling it from the base. He opened it, pulling up the lyrics and reading them out loud...

" _I_ _t's been a long time coming since I've seen your face, I've been everywhere and back trying to replace, Everything that I had 'til my feet went numb Praying like a fool that's been on the run_

 _Heart's still beating but it's not working It's like a million dollar phone that you just can't ring I reached out trying to love but I feel nothing Yeah, my heart is numb_

 _But with you I feel again Yeah, with you I can feel again Yeah_

 _I'm feeling better ever since you know me I was a lonely soul but that's the old me_

 _It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face I've been everywhere and back trying to replace Everything that I broke 'til my feet went numb Praying like a fool just shot the gun_

 _Heart still beating but it's not working It's like a hundred thousand voices that just can't sing I reached out trying to love but I feel nothing Oh, my heart is numb_

 _But with you I feel again Yeah, with you I can feel again But with you (I'm feeling better ever since you know me) I feel again (I was a lonely soul but that's the old me) Yeah, with you (I'm feeling better ever since you know me) I can feel again (I was a lonely soul)_

 _I'm feeling better ever since you know me A little wiser now from what you've shown me_

 _Yeah, I feel again, Feel again…"_

Scarlett snuggled against his chest, hearing the verses spoken reverberating against her ear. She sighed, closing her eyes again.

"It's even better hearing it in your voice," she smiled, looking back up at him as he finished the lyrics.

"As long as I'm not singing it," Spencer gave a toothy smile, as he placed a kiss to her forehead.

Scarlett laughed, slapping at his chest. "I happen to like your singing voice, farm boy," she told him.

"Riiiight..." he rolled his eyes. "You are crazy..."

"Certifiably..." she agreed, giving him another quick kiss before moving away from his side.

"But for now, it's back to reality..." she told him as she headed towards the bathroom. "Work beckons..."

Reid lay back against the pillows once more, adding the song into her playlist, before rolling out of bed with a sigh.

He followed Scarlett into the bathroom, moving behind her to grab his shaving kit. When he pulled out his razor, she sat on the counter to watch him shave.

Reid arched an eyebrow at her.

"Katy..." he said in a warning voice.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Work... remember? We don't have much time..." he told her, knowing that she liked watching him shave. A little too much, actually...

"I can watch..." she grinned evilly, swiping some of the foam from his face. "We have to shower, right?" she giggled.

Reid grunted his response, his body already reacting to the look in her eyes. He saw her scoot over, nabbing his hips between her legs. He could feel the heat of her core pressing against him through his pajama bottoms.

"I'll help you finish quicker," she told him, her voice dropping into that husky tone that made his blood sear.

"Right..." he looked into her eyes, seeing the heat brewing there.

Scarlett scraped the razor along his jaw, wiping off the excess lather. When she ran her tongue across the area, Spencer moaned, pushing against her.

"Almost done," she told him, rubbing against him.

"Scarlett..."

"Hold still, boy..." she warned with a soft breath. "Just a bit more..." she told him as she teased him.

Scarlett bit lightly at his collar bone, feeling him tug at her hips. She continued to shave his throat as he growled deeply in his chest. She felt him move his hands, tugging her panties to the side.

"Impatient much?" she asked, scooting forward on the counter, giving him better access for his intentions.

"Always, with you..." he ground out, his voice heavy with need. "Scarlett..."

Spencer caught her lips with his, sliding inside her, taking her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her slightly, so that she rode him.

He felt her breathing quicken, saw the blush stain across her skin as she came quickly. Holding himself back, he watched her come in his arms.

Scarlett held him tightly, burying her face in his neck.

"Impatient much?" he teased her, enjoying her reaction immensely. She bit his neck.

Reid chuckled shifting her to her feet. He checked the mirror quickly, making sure that she'd not missed anywhere. Turning back to her, he tugged her clothes off, then his, as he pushed her towards the shower.

"My turn," he said, as he set the water.

Scarlett leaned into him. "I can't stand up," she laughed, only half joking. "My legs aren't cooperating..."

Spencer held her close, moving under the spray. "I'll help you finish quicker..." he repeated her words to her on a husky breath.

Scarlett felt his hands roaming over her body, leaving her weaker. "Spencer..." she met his mouth in a searing kiss.

He picked her up again, leaning her back against the wall of the shower. Wrapping her legs around his hips, Scarlett held on, riding the waves of emotions that were filling her.

Spencer rode her, as the water beat against his back, his fingers gripping into her hips as he gave into his orgasm. His legs trembled- so he set her feet carefully back onto the floor of the tub.

Scarlett pushed his wet hair back from his face, kissing him deeply before pulling back with a grin.

"You almost dropped me..." she teased.

Spencer matched her smile. "Never..." he lied. "But I think I'll leave the wall sex to dry ground," he added with a smirk.

Scarlett laughed, shoving him back under the spray to wash his back.

"I'll agree to that, as long as there is still 'wall sex'..." she told him.

He turned around, pulling her under the shower spray with him. "Yeah, definitely..." he chuckled. "Glad you like it..."

"Mmm-hmm, I think that was quite obvious," she stated with a wink as she added shampoo to her damp hair, finishing the rest of the shower as quickly as possible.


	6. Chapter 6

_Note to Readers: The next few Chapters are based off of Criminal Minds episode "Elephants Memory" Obviously I have added in Scarlett's parts and changed the story a little to fit her and Spencer. All portions that are directly quoted from the episode are not mine, they are the property of the CM writers who originally did this excellent episode. Enjoy! ~Becky_

Chapter 6

Scarlett swirled what was remaining in her glass of Merlot as she looked across the table at her friend. Penelope waited patiently, adding some ingredients to the pot in front of her.

"So, what's bothering you, little one? The fact that Reid isn't talking to you about where he's been going or that he's been having cravings?" she asked, pouring a second glass for herself before topping off Scarlett's glass.

Scarlett leaned back in the chair, sighing. "I'm not sure, Pens. Maybe a bit of both... I'm worried about him..." she stared into the liquid, avoiding Garcia's quick gaze.

"I even did a spell the other night," she admitted. "Spence had some vials of dilaudid in the apartment. He found them the night I drove back from Chicago..."

Scarlett caught the look of shock on Penelope's face. "He hadn't used it- he threw it away... but it scared me. I did a strengthening spell for him, to help him fight against the cravings," she gave a half shrug, meeting Penny's eyes.

"You did what you could then, sweetie," Penelope took Scarlett's hand, giving it a squeeze. "You listened, you were there for him and you prayed for him. The rest is up to him."

Scarlett smiled slightly. "I know, but you know I'm not very good at giving up control. And this is something I have no control over," she stated.

"I know, doll," Garcia sighed, patting her hand. "So that's why you came to me," she gave her friend a grin. "And that's why we are having a girl's night in... with food and wine and movies... No boys allowed..." Penelope lifted her glass.

Scarlett matched her friend's smile. "Right- okay... no more negativity allowed," she agreed, clinking her glass to Penny's. "We are just-" her voice was cut off as both her and Garcia's phones began to buzz.

"Oh, no..." Penny frowned at the screen. "Work..." she pouted.

"Ugh... alright then," Scarlett scowled. "I guess we will need a rain check on the movies?" she rolled her eyes as she glanced at Penelope's phone. "Texas?"

"Yeah..." Penny squinted at the screen. "Looks like two officers were ambushed after a bombing," she caught Scarlett's eyes.

"Right- looks like we are going to be traveling to West Bune," Scarlett acknowledged. "I'd better stop and grab our go bags on the way in..."

Spencer ran into the office taking the stairs two at a time. He was already late- Scarlett had even added a text herself asking him where he was- and his phone was vibrating again as he made the corner, heading through the bullpen towards the meeting room. He began apologizing as he entered.

"Sorry..." he told everyone, catching Scarlett's eyes. "Sorry I'm late..."

"I hope she was worth it," Rossi teased, throwing a look towards Scarlett.

"That'd be interesting," Morgan laughed, cocking a brow towards his sister.

"Umm, yeah, I just caught a movie..." Spencer lied, uncomfortably.

Dave picked up on that. "Really? Without your wife? Why don't you tell us what it was about?"

"I, uh, had to leave early, so I can't really tell-" he stopped talking as he saw Rossi arch a brow at him. He finally picked up on what was being implied.

Scarlett saw the twisted look on Spencer's face, and jumped in quickly to defend him.

"I had plans with Penny," she interjected smoothly. "Spence went out on his own..."

Reid looked over at Scarlett, holding her gaze. She could see the relief there in thanks to her covering for him.

Hotch interrupted them.

"Look, I know it's late, I know we are tired, but we've got two dead cops..." he stated as he moved around the table.

Garcia looked from Spencer to Scarlett then back to the video monitor. She let out a quick breath, picking up the details of the case.

"Alright, uh, the resident, Rod Norris was DOA. They are still trying to id the remains of the second victim, whom they believe is his sixteen year old daughter, Jordan. From the condition of the remains, she would have been inside the house, close to the source of the blast."

Scarlett looked at the pictures of the scene, putting the pieces together in her mind. "Clearly, they used the bombing to set the officers up for an ambush," she stated.

"It is a well-established terrorist tactic. First wave takes out civilians, second wave takes out first responders..." Reid agreed with Scarlett. When she lifted her eyes from the tablet to look at him, he gave her a weak smile.

Morgan interjected. "The locals are thinking terrorism? In West Bune, Texas?" he asked, slightly incredulously.

JJ nodded. "Not exactly a tier one target, but DHS did issue a terror alert for the border states... Just due to the timing and nature of the attack..."

"I've never even heard of this place... Militia I could see..." Derek interrupted.

Scarlett nodded towards the map. "Well, it is close to the border- it could be traffickers sending a message..." she pointed out.

Dave shook his head. "Whoever it is- they gunned down two cops, and blew up a teenaged girl. Til they're stopped, no one in that town is safe."

Hotch nodded. "We are going to have to be cautious of the locals- they've lost two of their own, they are anxious, they're scared... and they are going to want revenge."

"Can you blame them?" Scarlett asked. Rossi shrugged.

"Alright- let's head out..." Aaron nodded to the room. "Wheels up in thirty..."

Reid quickly picked up the folder before him, following Scarlett out of the room.

"Katy..." he called her back towards the door.

Scarlett stopped, finished a comment to JJ and headed back towards him.

"What's the matter farm boy?" she asked, seeing the look on his face.

Reid took her elbow, dragging her back into the room. He held her for a moment, kicking the door shut as he spoke.

"You don't think I've been cheating on you, do you?" he pushed out in a rush, concerned.

Scarlett's eyes widened slightly. "Spence- if I thought that, even for a second, I wouldn't have covered for you about the movie. Nor would we be having a civil conversation right now," she teased, reaching up to press a quick kiss to his lips.

"I'd be tearing you apart," she said on a slight grin.

"Right, okay- I just... I didn't know, and Rossi started..." he stammered.

"Spence," Scarlett reached up, touching his cheek. He quickly sucked in a breath, closing his eyes.

"Why are you so wound up, sweet boy? Just because Dave was picking on you? C'mon, now, you know he was just busting your chops..."

"No..." he covered her hand with his own, holding it against his skin a moment longer. Scarlett moved closer, wrapping her arms around him. She felt him sigh as he buried his face against her hair.

"I love you Scarlett..."

"As I love you, Spence..." she told him, lifting her face to kiss him quickly.

Reid let himself lean into her for a moment, gaining strength from her closeness. He pressed his lips over hers again, moving to her cheeks then her eyes and to her forehead, covering her face in a flurry of gentle kisses. Scarlett smiled.

"I've been going to meetings," he told her quietly. "I found another tonight and I went to it- That's where I was... I wasn't sure how it would go... so I didn't want to talk about it, in case I didn't want to go back. And I didn't want you to worry or think I was slipping... I just... I just wanted to talk to some other people..." he explained in a soft rush.

Scarlett tucked her face against his chest, closed her eyes and thanked the gods for helping him. She let out a breath, pressing another kiss onto his neck.

"Good," she told him, straightening out his tie and moving back in his arms slightly. "I'm glad you did."

She watched a small look of relief cross his features.

"Spencer, sweetheart... You don't need to keep anything from me. I won't ask you twenty questions, because I respect your privacy... But if there is anything you want to tell me, anything you want to talk about... I'm here, I will always listen... Okay?"

"Okay," he breathed out on a sigh of relief. "It's not that I didn't want to talk to you- I just wanted to talk to other people who, uh, were going through the same thing… I needed to know how other people handled this…"

Scarlett pulled him in for another quick kiss. "Okay..." she repeated, grinning. "Then I'm glad you found them."

She touched his cheek again, willing him to see the understanding in her eyes. Spencer nodded, resting his forehead to hers for a moment. Scarlett patted his cheek gently.

"Alright, boy, moment over… now, let's go and catch some bad guys..."

Spencer nodded, holding her tightly for another second. She could feel his tension still riding against him.

"I'm always right here, Spence..." she told him softly, touching the watch that was tucked into his pocket. "Don't ever forget…" she said, pressing a kiss against his temple.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The team pulled up on the site of Rod Norris's house- or what remained of it- the next morning. JJ made introductions to the lead investigator, Sheriff Wallen as they approached.

Scarlett half listened to the conversation as she took in the scene before her. She watched the officers as they sifted through the debris and rubble, trying to make sense of what had happened. Her ears caught the Sheriff state that Jordan, Rod Norris's daughter had been 'slow' as he spoke to JJ.

"Slow?" she asked, turning her attention more fully to the conversation. "She was mentally challenged?"

"Not quite," the sheriff shrugged. "Special ed and that stuff... it took some talking to her to notice... I think her mother leaving took its toll..."

Scarlett nodded, listening as JJ spoke to the Sheriff about talking to the rest of the officers back at the station house. Her eyes caught sight of Spencer walking through the home, so she followed him.

Reid moved over to the structure, looking over the area of the damage.

"The blast was localized here," he told her as she came up on him. He looked around what was once the kitchen.

"The room was sealed off," Scarlett noticed, pointing to the door way. "There is plastic, duct tape, on the door frames- the windows too..." she let her gaze travel through the area, reconstructing it in her head.

Dave lifted a can to his nose. "Cordite... gunpowder..." he handed the container to Scarlett.

"They found a dozen canisters, they said," Reid told them, remembering what he'd read in the partial report.

"The concentration of damage puts those canisters right by the door," Scarlett said, squinting at the area.

Rossi watched Scarlett as she scanned the area, adding images to the movie she was watching in her head. He helped her build a better picture as he spoke, adding more information to her mind.

"He seals the kitchen, blows out the pilot light, trapping the gas in here, near the primary charge..."

Scarlett closed her eyes, listening to Dave's voice.

"If she was here, between the charge and the window..." he watched as Scarlett walked, eyes closed, through the area, not missing a step. She was following the image in her mind's eye now, seeing it clearly.

"Boom," she said softly, as she reached the spot where they'd thought Jordan would have been standing. She shivered slightly, rubbing at her arms.

"Rod Norris ends up in the tree, Jordan's body, over in the field..." Scarlett opened her eyes and walked over to the cupboard that still hung on the wall.

Spencer watched Scarlett come out of the reverie. He saw her eyes change from soft and unfocused to direct and clear once again. He shook his head, wondering to himself once again what it must be like inside her head, to see things played out so clearly. He noticed her shiver and had to stop himself from putting his arms around her. Instead he focused back on the scene.

"They didn't care about the rest of the house, though- the whole thing is designed to focus the blast on whoever came through that door," Reid added, looking back at Scarlett. She caught his gaze, nodded and looked around the room once again, shifting some details in her head.

"Yeah, but what was the trigger?" Rossi asked. He watched Scarlett turn, close her eyes and walk through the room once more. She stopped at the cupboard again, and opened her eyes, turning to Dave and Spencer.

"Rod Norris. He was a smoker..." she told them as she pulled a charred carton of cigarettes from the shelf.

Rossi looked back at the doorway again. "They knew he'd be coming through this door," he stated.

Reid nodded. "And they knew he'd be smoking when he did it..." he added. They looked at each other quickly.

"I'll go brief Hotch," Spencer said, noting the looks on his companions' faces. "This was personal..."

He found Hotch and Morgan standing at the area where the officers had been shot down. Spencer heard the end of the conversation as he came up behind Sheriff Wallen.

"They knew each other?" Wallen was saying to Hotch.

"Enough to know Rod Norris would enter through the back door while smoking," he interjected, circling the scene to stand by Morgan.

"And that Lou Savage was on duty and would respond," Morgan added.

"So what are we talking about here?" Wallen asked.

"This wasn't terrorism, domestic or otherwise," Hotch told him. "Terrorists rarely know their victims, at least not personally..."

"Because they knew Rod Norris was a smoker who used his backdoor?" the sheriff asked.

"And shot Deputy Savage, in the face, at point blank range," Morgan added, knowing that fact alone showed a rage of a personal nature.

"They weren't being thorough?" Wallen asked.

"No," Derek stated. "He walked past Letz, who was alive... shoots Savage in the face, when he knows he's already dead. Responders were coming, that last shot was risky overkill."

Reid nodded in agreement. "Overkill means rage, rage means a close personal relationship," he told the sheriff.

Hotch looked Sheriff Wallen in the eye. "Rod Norris and Lou Savage were the specific targets of this attack."

"Sheriff, can you think of anyone with a close personal relationship with Rod Norris and Lou Savage?" Derek asked.

"I didn't think about it, because of the terror alert," the sheriff spoke softly, thinking of some connection his mind was making to the new information.

"Think about what?" Hotch asked.

"Owen..." Wallen replied. "Owen Savage- Lou's son was dating Jordan Norris," he explained.

The three agents looked at each other. Hotch nodded, turning back to Wallen.

"We are going to need to talk to Owen Savage," he told the sheriff. "Immediately..."

Reid and Morgan headed back over towards the SUV, where Scarlett and Rossi were waiting.

"What's up?" Scarlett asked, noting the look on her brother's face.

"Rod Norris's daughter Jordan was dating Lou Savage's son, Owen. Sheriff Wallen is having his deputies locate Owen and hold him for an interview.

"Oh boy… Wow, that would be a personal connection, now, wouldn't it?" Scarlett sighed, looking back around the destruction. "This would be a kid then? All this rage?"

"Signs are pointing that way," Morgan told her, seeing the sadness in her face. "It happens..."

Spencer watched Scarlett's eyes change as she watched a different scenario play out in her mind. He moved closer to her side as Morgan and Rossi got into the vehicle.

"What are you seeing, crazy girl?" he asked her softly.

"I'm seeing the short life of a sweet girl who was a little slow..." she answered with a quiet grief in her voice. "Something isn't adding up, Spence. If this was Owen- and he was dating Jordan- why murder her? His obvious rage was against her father and his own... why would he kill them both- and her too?"

"We've got to locate Owen, talk to him and find out... Scarlett, stop putting pictures in your head. You don't need this replaying..." he told her, meaning her seeing Jordan being blown up. Or adding pieces of her life into it, which was where his mind was going...

He was seeing a boy, in love with that sweet girl...

"It doesn't make sense, Spence. If she was in that kitchen- she'd have known the pilot light was out- she'd have smelled the gas, she would have seen the canisters of gunpowder..." Scarlett told him as she slid into the backseat of the SUV. Spencer moved in beside her.

"So you are thinking that she isn't dead or that she committed suicide?" Morgan asked, listening to the conversation.

"If she did this herself- who shot Savage?" Rossi asked.

"They teamed up? It's possible Owen has a plan to commit suicide also..." Derek stated.

"Or they want it to look that way so they can get away..." Scarlett said. Reid nodded slightly.

Rossi answered his phone as it rang.

"Hotch- right, yes... we are discussing the same... I figured. Okay, we'll meet you there..." Dave hung up the phone.

"The deputies didn't find Owen at home. We're going to meet with Hotch at the Savage home. See what we can dig up about Owen's life..."

Morgan started the engine. "Let's go then..."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Derek and Scarlett followed Reid and Hotch into the Savage's home. Sheriff Wallen was already inside.

"How long have you known Lou Savage?" Hotch asked him as he scanned the home.

"My whole life," Wallen answered.

Spencer looked over the walls at the pictures that were neatly hung. Scarlett noted that the room seemed to have a sterile, almost clinical feeling to it. It didn't feel like a home.

"And Deputy Savage's wife?"

"Hope..."

"How did she die?"

"A drunk driver in '02," Wallen answered. "Lou was in Afghanistan... Owen lived with us until he got back..."

Reid looked over the house again, noting there wasn't even so much as a speck of dust on the picture frames. The pictures themselves were of Lou Savage in uniform...

"Semper fi..." Spencer whispered to himself, building his own pictures in his mind now, of Owen.

Scarlett noticed the same details that Spencer had. She could see the emptiness, strict order in the walls.

Derek watched Scarlett and Reid wander through the rooms. He saw her take in the area. When he met her gaze, she just shook her head negatively. She was seeing nothing- no personality, no indication of the lives that were supposed to live within these walls. This house was empty, not a home.

"How long was Lou Savage in the Marines?" Morgan asked Wallen.

"Twelve years..." Wallen answered. "He was discharged so he could raise Owen."

Reid picked his head up at that. "Is that why he resented them?" Spencer asked, slightly cocky.

Scarlett noticed the tone. She could see the hint of anger in Spencer's face. When she moved over to him, he caught her eyes briefly, before looking back over at Wallen.

"Pardon me?" Wallen asked, his face slightly confused.

Reid turned to him more directly. "Uh, did Lou blame his wife and son for ending his career in the Marines?"

Wallen stood straighter and narrowed his gaze at Spencer. "Lou was a good man..." he told him flatly.

"A good man who doesn't have a single picture of his dead wife or only son in his entire house...?" Reid implied levelly, meeting the sheriff's stare.

Scarlett looked over at Morgan catching his eye. He raised his brow to her, knowing she was concerned about Reid's attitude all of a sudden. She moved closer to Spencer's side, but he wouldn't look over at her.

Hotch stepped in, breaking Wallen and Reid's stare down. He shot a quick look at Scarlett.

"I know this is hard, and if we had more time- we would be more sensitive... but we don't..." Aaron said as he moved closer to Sheriff Wallen.

Scarlett saw Reid look away, taking a small step back from the sheriff. And, away from her side.

Wallen sighed hugely.

"Hope was the drunk driver. I didn't write it up that way, but it didn't matter. Hope's drinking was no secret in town..."

"Where is Owen's room?" Reid asked.

"Right over there..." the sheriff indicated with a wave of his hand. "And there is your gun safe," he told Hotch as Spencer moved to the bedroom. Scarlett followed him as Morgan stared after them. He caught Scarlett's nod as she passed, acknowledging her brother's concerned look in Reid's direction. She would check on him.

Derek moved into the master bedroom. When he found more of the same... nothing, except Lou's military uniform still sealed, he moved back into the living room to show Hotch. He shrugged at Hotch's frown.

Aaron told Wallen to try the date of 11-10-75 for the combination.

"November tenth, 1975? What's that?" Derek asked.

"1775... the Marine Corps birthday..." Hotch informed them.

The gun safe opened easily... and was empty. Derek sighed.

"I think you may have just sold me on that profiling stuff..." Wallen said, looking inside the safe.

"That's bad..." Wallen stated flatly.

"How bad?" Hotch asked as Morgan headed into Owen's bedroom. He heard Hotch talking to Wallen.

"Lou was our tactical trainer. This should be full of automatic rifles and hand guns."

"All of which he'd have trained his son on..." Hotch said quietly.

Morgan saw Scarlett looking through some papers on Owen's desk by his computer, while Reid was glancing over pictures on the wall.

"Gun safe is empty..." he told them. Scarlett shook her head slowly, knowing it was what they'd been expecting to hear.

"That's a surprise?" Reid glanced over at the two of them, shrugging a shoulder, the thin veil of ice still coating his voice.

Scarlett met Derek's stunned gaze with own of her own. Morgan moved over to Spencer's shoulder, looking at the poster on the wall.

"That's James Dean's Porsche... no pics of James Dean though..." he commented. "That's a bad sign..."

"Especially when your mother died in a car accident," Spencer stated. "We still haven't found the 'father of the year' award..." he added snarkily.

Scarlett looked over to the two of them. Morgan caught her astonished look as her eyes followed Spencer. He moved to stand behind her at the desk.

"You already tried his computer?" he asked Scarlett, taking her concerned gaze away from Spencer, bringing her back to the matter at hand. They had to find this kid, and he could tell Scarlett was being pulled away from the case in her worry about Spencer.

Morgan gave her a little nudge in the shoulder, squeezing it. She reached up and patted his hand.

"It's password encrypted... I was just about to call Penny," she told her brother, smiling slightly as he reached up to tweak her chin.

"Well, that seems like a smart move, when your dad's a cop," he told her, giving her a grin. Scarlett gave him a half-hearted smile in return.

"Yeah, assuming he cares enough to snoop..." Reid threw out as he leaned down to study another photo.

"Okay, wow..." Scarlett turned around quickly, unable to let the ice in Spencer's voice pass this time.

Morgan jumped in, settling his hand onto Scarlett shoulder again.

"Hey, Reid... check yourself," he told his friend. Spencer looked over at the two of them, frowning.

"That sheriff out there wanted to take your head off..." he told his friend.

"I think Hotch might have let him," Scarlett added, slightly muttering.

When Reid only shrugged, moving over to the closet, opening the door, Morgan shook his head. Scarlett huffed slightly, turning her attention back to the computer.

Derek pulled open a nearby drawer. "All of his clothes are black..." he stated, pulling out a handful of t-shirts.

"Same here," Reid responded from inside the closet. He turned around to come face to face with a blacked out mirror.

"Just like his friend, Johnny Cash..." Morgan stated, looking over at another poster.

"So Owen identifies with being the misunderstood loner," Scarlett said quietly, knowing herself how that felt.

"You know, I wish all of our unsubs would tack their profiles up on their walls like this for us..." Derek mentioned flippantly.

Reid looked over quickly, a frown creasing his brow. "Bullshit. That doesn't mean anything... What... You grew up in Chicago, a high school jock, so you had pictures of Scotty Pippin and Michael Jordan all over your walls... trophies everywhere?"

"Yeah, but you're forgetting the fine ladies of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition..." Derek teased.

Scarlett snorted. "There were definitely plenty of those," she added on a laugh.

"Hush, you... yours were of bands... with some very pretty looking male lead singers... I'm guessing you weren't only thinking of their songs while you were staring up at them..." Morgan bantered back, trying to change the tone of the feeling in the room. Reid didn't play along.

"Smart money says you two didn't paint your mirrors black," he told them, opening the closet door a bit further. Scarlett watched his face pinch a bit in thought.

"I guess Owen didn't like what he saw..." Scarlett said sadly. She turned her head in concern as she heard shouting coming from the front of the house. The three of them moved in unison to see what the commotion was about outside.

Scarlett moved out onto the porch, behind Hotch. He turned slightly, facing his team as the woman on the ground continued shouting at Sheriff Wallen.

"That's officer Letz's wife," he told them quietly. He nodded to her as he led Reid and Morgan back inside. Scarlett listened closely to the conversation coming from the front yard. She knew Hotch meant for her to repeat the scene to them word for word.

"Is it true?" the woman said to Wallen.

"Sara, please..."

"If it's true, you tell me!" she screamed. "Did Lou's freak son shoot Byron?"

"Sara, go home to your kids... your kids need you at home..." Wallen told her quietly.

"My children need their daddy!" she continued shouting, pain evident in her voice.

"You send them home..." she waved her hand at the door, dropping her voice. Scarlett turned her back to the scene, as if disinterested, but closing her eyes, using her ears to listen closely.

"You know what you need to do. You find that little son of a bitch, and you do what's right!" she told him darkly, turning away and stomping from the house.

Scarlett sighed; moving back into the home to relay what she knew was probably the feelings of many of the townspeople and other officers. They wanted Owen to pay.

"Why do I get the feeling she's not the only one with that sentiment," Morgan said as Scarlett relayed the conversation.

"I had the same thought," she told her brother.

Hotch looked over at Morgan and Scarlett. "You two stay here and work the room. Reid and I are going to go over to the high school and talk to Owen's teachers and friends. We have to get a profile..."

"Right," Morgan agreed, turning back to the house.

Scarlett watched Spencer follow Hotch without even giving her a glance. She shook her head. Something was running through his mind, and he wasn't ready to share. She tried to shake off the bad feeling that had started surrounding her.

Reid looked back quickly at Scarlett as she turned to go back into the house. He rubbed at his chest, over his heart, where a steady ache had sat since the beginning of this whole case. He watched her another moment, then turned back to face Sheriff Wallen.

"He's heading out of town," the officer stated as he came up to them. Hotch looked over at Reid, a doubtful expression on his face. "They found his car at the entrance to the Interstate, right beside victim number five..."

Hotch turned back to look over at the house. "Agent Ryan..." he called out, seeing her crossing the doorway. Scarlett looked up, heading outside to meet them.

"Yes?" she stepped up beside Hotch, meeting his eyes.

"You rendezvous with Agent Rossi- they found Owen's truck. I need you to go over it. Morgan and Garcia need to work on the room and Owen's computer... we have to figure out where he is going. We need to get ahead of him."

"Right, got it..." Scarlett pulled out her phone, calling Rossi as she headed over to the SUV. She didn't notice Reid following her until he moved into the door as she slid into the driver's seat.

"I'll call you when we find out more at the school," he told her softly, raising his eyes to finally meet hers.

"You already have an idea of what you are going to find there, just like I do," she told him, holding his gaze.

"We'll work the profile," he told her, shrugging slightly. "But, yeah, we all have an idea what we will find there..."

Scarlett sighed, closing her eyes a moment. Reid reached over and set his hand over hers.

"Scarlett- I'm sorry..."

She opened her eyes to meet his hazel gaze. "Spence... I know you are seeing a lot of parallels..." she told him, bringing up the idea that he was relating to Owen, personally.

"You told me not to put the images in my head, but you are doing just that... it's not a good place to be..."

"I know, Scarlett- I know... but..."

"But?" she asked, reaching up to touch his cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

"No. Never mind. Hotch is right, we've got to get ahead of him. I promise, I'll keep my head in the case, if you do the same..."

Scarlett nodded. Neither of them had been concentrating enough.

"Right, I promise..." she told him, shifting to pull the seat belt across herself.

Spencer took the latch for the belt, reaching over her to snap it into place. He looked up at her.

"Scarlett, promise me something else?" he asked hesitantly.

"What, farm boy?" she cocked her head, hearing the worry in his voice.

"If you come across this kid... Owen- don't step in... Don't get in between the cops and him. They are out for blood, and I don't see this ending well..."

"Spence..." Scarlett sighed, looking around quickly to see if anyone was watching them. When she saw nobody was looking their way, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. He pressed closer, deepening the kiss, softly covering her mouth with his. Scarlett felt the desperation there, and was shocked by it. His lips continued to move over hers, tasting her, stealing her breath away. She moved with him, returning the kiss, taking the warmth he was offering.

"Spencer," she called his name softly after a moment, pulling back slightly. She ran her hand down his cheek, stroking him. "I promise I'll be safe. I'll do what I have to, but I'll be safe, okay?"

"Yes, okay... right," he cleared his throat and straightened up away from her. He pressed his lips together tightly, looking around. Scarlett knew that was one of his tells- a sure sign he was stressed and nervous.

"Farm boy..." she called him softly, bringing his attention back to her face. She smiled softly, touching his lips with her thumb. "I'll be alright... he's not going to be anywhere in that area... I think he's meeting up with Jordan," she told him. "I'm not sure I believe she was in that explosion..."

"I think so too," he agreed, dropping a quick kiss to her palm as it passed by his lips.

"I love you, crazy girl," he told her.

"As I love you, farm boy. You stay safe, too."

Reid nodded, stepping away from the door. He closed it as she turned over the engine, and watched her drive away. As he walked over to where Hotch was waiting, a dark feeling of foreboding followed him, and he didn't know how to shake it.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Scarlett walked over to where Dave was standing beside the body that had been found, with Sheriff Wallen.

"Owen's truck is completely cleaned out." she told them. "He didn't want to leave us any clues to where he was heading. He's a smart kid..."

"I have the Texas Rangers working road blocks..." Wallen stated.

"So far, every move he's made has been clever and well planned," Rossi replied.

"What about the victim?" Scarlett asked.

"Single gunshot to the face," Dave told her. He looked up at Wallen. "Who is he?"

"Kyle Borden... Nineteen- he worked the register. His car is gone; we already put it out on the wire..."

"So Owen stops by here on his way to the interstate, grabs supplies- marches Kyle out back and kills him... and steals his El Camino..." Scarlett looked around, picturing the scene. She met Rossi's eyes.

"No evidence Kyle resisted," Dave told her. "Owen didn't have to kill him."

Scarlett nodded, looking down at the body. She rolled her eyes. "Well, he certainly didn't have to shoot him in the face..." she added.

"He wanted Kyle to see it coming," Rossi agreed with Scarlett's unstated assumption. This was personal. He looked up at Wallen.

"Well, Kyle was a few years ahead of Owen in school. It follows he'd know him," the sheriff allowed with a shrug. Wallen's phone rang and he turned away from the agents to take the call.

"Excuse me," he said as he moved away.

Scarlett moved closer to Rossi, speaking quietly.

"Owen didn't just know him, he hated him," she said tightly. The fury in this scene was very clear.

"Question is, why?" Dave asked, wondering what could have brought on this rage. "Let's check out the store, see if we can find any clues inside," he said to Scarlett.

Scarlett followed Rossi through the storage room, into the convenience store. Looking around, she took note of the items lining the walls.

"It was recently restocked," Dave told her, pointing at the shelves.

Scarlett lifted a clipboard from alongside the door into the back room.

"According to this invoice, just last night after closing," she said as she handed the board over to Rossi for his input.

"Good... this should make it easier to tell what Owen took with him... do your thing, Red..." he told her with a smile as he read the invoice back to her.

Scarlett scanned over the store, walking through the small aisles, one at a time. Dave watched Scarlett move her eyes through the entire place, as she walked back to him.

Scarlett re-listened to the invoice in her mind and closed her eyes. Seeing the entire store before her, she matched the items on the list to what she knew was on the shelves. In a few more minutes she opened her eyes and looked at Dave. He noticed a distant look in her gaze just before it cleared away and she spoke.

"We have a problem," she told him, moving over to the coolers. "He took gallon jugs of milk, frozen pizzas, cold cuts... but no water..."

Rossi nodded and let out a sigh. "You don't take frozen foods and perishables on a road trip," he agreed flatly. There was no way Owen was traveling. They looked at each other, as Rossi led the way back to the front of the store. He met Sheriff Wallen.

"Road blocks are not going to work," Dave told the officer.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because he's not on the road," Scarlett added.

"He's still here, he never left," Rossi agreed.

The sheriff nodded, tightening his face into a grimace.

"Correction, they are still here," he mentioned to them.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked.

"That phone call was the coroner's office," he stated. "That wasn't Jordan's body we found."

"Who's was it?" she asked, concerned.

"Not who- what..." the sheriff said flatly. "The remains we sent to the ME turned out to be three hams and a dozen bone-in rib eyes, stuffed in Jordan Norris's blue jeans," his voice taking on an irritated tone.

"So, you tell me... is she a hostage? Or an accomplice?" he asked, clearly aggravated at the turn of events. He slapped his hat against his thigh, walking away as one of his deputies called him over.

Scarlett looked over at Dave, catching his eye. "It may be that she has no idea about the events that are occurring..."

"Which makes her neither an accomplice nor a hostage," Rossi agreed.

"But with tensions running so high, will we get the chance to even figure out what she is before she becomes of victim of circumstance?" Scarlett added sadly, looking around at the crime scene once again.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Dave said, reaching over to pat her shoulder.

"Maybe Reid and Hotch found some information out at the school that could help us figure out where he's headed- where they're hiding," she added, hopefully.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Reid scanned through Owen's school records quickly as he and Hotch walked along the corridor with the counselor.

"As Owen's counselor, what can you tell us about Jordan and Owen?" Aaron asked, looking over at the man.

"Not much. They started dating last year, when Owen was placed into Special Ed..."

"Junior year? Isn't that a bit late?" Hotch interrupted.

"Well, yes... it would have been if he'd been put there for academic reasons..."

"What was the problem?"

"Bad attitude, lack of effort... When Owen applied himself in some classes, he did very well- but it would never last," he led the agents into the main office. "Here we are..."

Spencer moved through the glass doors without ever picking his head up from the file.

"The problem wasn't a 'lack of effort'," Reid stated, becoming more frustrated at what he was reading. "Or even a 'bad attitude' – the A's in math and science, show us he was a gifted student..." his voice becoming tighter as the profile became clearer.

"The D's in English and history tell us he had difficulty reading... the F in Geometry shows a spacial relationship issue, which is further confirmed by his atrocious, illegible handwriting," Reid blew out a breath, aggravated at the whole system. He handed the folder to Hotch.

"All consistent with a brilliant but severely learning disabled student," Hotch agreed with Reid's assessment.

"But his standardized testing didn't support that kind of intelligence," the counselor explained.

Reid cut him off. "With a spacial relationship handicap, it affects your hand/eye co-ordination, he couldn't fill out an answer bubble any easier than he could, say, hit a baseball," he spouted out.

"Which is why he stayed away from sports," Hotch added.

"Sports were a sore spot with his father," the man stated, shaking his head slightly. "I mean, he, uh, joined the wrestling team his freshman year, just to appease his old man, but it didn't work out..."

The phone on the man's desk began to ring, so he stepped around the agents. "Excuse me..." he offered, moving away from them.

Reid paced a bit across the floor, stepping back over to where Hotch was still looking at the file.

"He was probably the smartest kid in class, but he just couldn't prove it," he muttered to his supervisor, looking back down at the folder. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he looked Aaron in the eye.

"Being the smartest kid in class is like being the only kid in class," he told him, trying to convey the level of frustration that the isolation could have brought onto Owen.

"Hotch... they missed all of it..." Spencer said accusingly.

"Schools like this can't meet the specialized needs of every student," Hotch reminded him.

"He gives it everything he's got, over and over and over again- and continues to fail- and the whole time... the whole time... they tell him it's his fault!" Spencer's voice pitched a bit in irritation, his brows furrowed in a frown. "I mean... it makes sense!" he said.

"No," Hotch shook his head. "No it doesn't. An undiagnosed learning disability doesn't add up to this level of violence. Not without severe emotional abuse, you know that," he reminded Reid.

Hotch's cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID.

"Morgan. You've got something?" he asked. Listening for a moment, Hotch nodded. "Okay, yes... have Garcia forward it..."

Reid looked at him.

"Garcia was able to open Owen's computer. They found an m-peg video file stored in there. Morgan says it may have been one of the stressors. We need to watch it..."

"Right," Reid sighed, knowing that whatever was on that file was going to have been traumatic to Owen.

Hotch scrolled through his phone, checking his texts, and then put in another call, setting the phone on speaker. "Ryan... have you and Dave arrived at the school yet?"

"We are actually walking through the doors as we speak, sir..." Scarlett responded.

"Good... JJ has one of Jordan's friends in the school library, to your left. I want you to talk to her also so we have record of what she had to share. Tell Dave I need him in the main office. We've found a video file stored in Owen's computer. I want his take on it."

"Right, yes, sir... Library is right here, now..." she disconnected the call, looking over at Rossi. "Hotch wants you at the main office. I need to listen in on JJ's convo with Jordan's bff..." she tilted her head towards the library door.

"BFF?" Rossi raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, text talk for 'best friends forever'... Maybe she'll have a clue where they are at…" she told him.

"Let's hope so," Dave nodded, starting to head for the office. Scarlett turned, pushing the library doors open.

JJ was standing in front of a desk, talking to a younger girl. They both looked over at Scarlett's entrance.

"Hello, sorry I'm late..." Scarlett offered as she moved to stand beside JJ.

"Eileen, this is Agent Ryan... She's working directly with the local sheriff to try to find Owen and Jordan," JJ told the younger girl.

"Agent Ryan..." Eileen held out her hand.

"Please, call me Scarlett," Scarlett said as she took Eileen's hand in hers, giving it a quick squeeze, holding on to it for a moment. Scarlett looked the girl in the eyes.

"Eileen, more than anything, I want to keep Jordan safe. We want to bring Owen in without anyone else being hurt... Anything you can share with us might help us do that," she explained.

"Eileen was just starting to tell me about Jordan. How she and Jordan became friends," JJ said, looking over at Eileen again. Scarlett leaned back against the desk, relaxing her stance.

"Please, continue..." she offered a smile to Eileen.

"Well, I mean, Jordan is the gentlest girl in the world," Eileen began speaking again in her soft southern drawl. "She'd never hurt anybody," the girl stated emphatically.

Scarlett nodded. "Can you tell us anything about Jordan's father?" she asked.

Eileen sort of shrugged. "He thought Jordan was dumb. She wasn't… I mean, she'd get the answers if you gave her time… but he never did."

"Did he ever hit her?" JJ asked.

Eileen nodded sadly. "She thought that she deserved it, at least until Owen came along," she explained.

"Were they in love?" Scarlett asked.

"Oh, yes ma'am," Eileen stated emphatically, with a smile. "I thought she was going to die when her dad took her phone away… she didn't have a computer, so Owen bought her a smartphone, so she could get email and everything? He even paid the bill, and set it up so it wouldn't ring unless it was Owen or me…"

"Owen took care of her…" Scarlett said softly.

"He tried. Whenever anyone said anything bad about her, he'd stick up for her… Always," she told them.

"What would people say about her?" JJ asked.

"Uh, well, when Jordan was a freshman, there was this senior who took advantage of her," Eileen explained quietly. "He told everyone about it… that's how she and I became friends… I thought she needed someone to look out for her…" she looked away sadly. "I guess I didn't do a very good job…"

"No," Scarlett interceded. "You're wrong… She's lucky to have you as a friend Eileen."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," both Scarlett and JJ assured the younger girl.

"We are done, for now…" JJ told her. "Thank you…"

Jordan picked up her book bag and started to leave.

"Oh…" Scarlett remembered something. "Before you go, could you tell us anything about Kyle Borden?" she asked, bringing up the latest victim's name.

"Uh, Kyle was the senior who took advantage of Jordan," Eileen confirmed. Scarlett closed her eyes, seeing the picture of the scene in her mind. The rage fit, now.

"Thank you," she stated, looking over at JJ. After Eileen left, she filled the other woman in on this piece of information. JJ shook her head.

"Owen is still protecting Jordan," she told Scarlett.

"Let's hope it stays that way…" Scarlett nodded. "The others are in the office, we may as well tell them."

"Right," JJ followed Scarlett through the corridors.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Scarlett and JJ found Reid and Hotch looking over a screen with the school principal. It showed a grainy video of Owen standing in a towel in a school locker room.

" _Guys, I don't think I can do this,"_ Owen's voice sounded over the speakers.

" _What's the matter? It's not like you don't masturbate at home…"_ came another voice from behind the scene.

"Oh, boy…" Scarlett muttered under her breath, putting the story together. Reid turned at her voice, catching her eyes. She saw from his tightly controlled expression, he was angry. She moved closer to his side, avoiding looking at the video.

" _I can't really do it while you are watching me, man…"_

"He didn't know he was being filmed," Spencer said softly, a sadness tingeing his voice.

Scarlett nudged him slightly, wanting to touch him. He sighed, reaching over to squeeze her hand that was hidden by the high desk. Scarlett pressed three fingers into his palm and felt him return the response before he released his hold.

" _You want to be on the team, you gotta do it… we all did it…"_ said another voice.

" _Okay, okay, I- I'll try…"_ came Owen's response.

Hotch flipped off the video.

Reid turned to the principal. "Did Owen tell you about this?" he asked.

"He didn't have to; it was posted all over the school's social networking site…" the man admitted. "We pulled it down immediately," he stated in the school's defense.

"Once it's on the internet, it's out there forever, Owen knew that," Reid shook his head, looking over at Hotch.

"Did Owen tell his father about it?" Hotch asked.

"Well, not at first, but when Owen quit the wrestling team, his father confronted him… He, uh, he blamed Owen for the whole thing," he told them.

Reid rolled his eyes, exasperated. The more they dug into this, the more it all came up as a perfect storm.

"He only joined the team to get his father's approval," he muttered.

"How were these boys punished?" Hotch asked.

The principal looked a bit shamefaced as he answered.

"Owen identified them, but on the video all we have is their voices. I mean, even if they admitted involvement, all they'd have to say is that Owen didn't have to do it…" he tried justifying his position.

Scarlett watched as Spencer turned away, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation. She understood how he felt, but could see he was taking things way too personally.

"Spence," she spoke his name softly, but he'd already turned back on the principal.

"He didn't know he was being filmed!" Reid stated vehemently. The principal stood up to face Reid.

"Look, all we have is his word against theirs…" the man threw his hands in the air. He looked away from Spencer's scowl.

"Parents would get involved… the school board, lawyers…" he stated, as if he couldn't have done anything differently.

Reid crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the man angrily.

"Cyber bullying is a hot issue right now; the whole thing would end up on '60 minutes'… How's that going to help Owen?" he tried to tell the agents.

"What did you tell him?" Hotch asked.

"I told him that dealing with bullies is a part of growing up," the principal explained.

Scarlett sighed. "Sounds familiar," she muttered. She felt Reid tense up beside her.

"Boys have a way of working these things out for themselves…" the principal said as he met Scarlett's gaze. She gave him a scathing look.

"Yeah they sure do…" Reid said with a cocky chuckle. "And right now, Owen is sorting it out with an assault rifle…"

"Reid," Scarlett spoke to him softly, realizing he was crossing the line.

Spencer gave the principal one last glance as he threw Owen's files down on the floor. He turned, catching Hotch's disapproving glance, before he marched out of the office.

Scarlett sighed hugely. "I'll speak with Dr. Reid," she addressed Hotch and the principal, emphasizing the title 'doctor'. She threw a quick glance to JJ. Hopefully, the principal would attribute Reid's anger as frustration with the system, and not take it personally. She moved into the doorway, looking around for Spencer. She listened to Hotch explaining the outburst to the principal.

"I apologize, but you have to understand, we've heard those phrases before, when we interview school shooters…" she heard him stating.

JJ cut in. "Jordan was the motive for Kyle Borden, Owen killed him for revenge…" she warned Hotch of what they had learned from Eileen.

"I need to speak to the boys who made this video, immediately…" Aaron told the other man.

"Let me check their class schedule…" the principal moved to the computer, pulling up the names. He gave Hotch a worried look.

"What is it?"

"None of them showed up for class today," he stated, concerned.

Hotch turned catching Scarlett's eyes as she went through the door way. He and JJ followed, knowing that this meant that Owen possibly had already taken revenge on these boys. They had to find out where these boys had gone, or where they had been taken. The principal followed them.

JJ pulled out her phone, contacting Penelope.

"Garcia, we are sending you a list of names and cell phone numbers. We need you to triangulate where they are right now…"

Scarlett veered away from the team when she saw Spencer pacing in the library. She entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"Spence…" she called to him softly, pulling his attention to her.

"Scarlett, please don't tell me I'm wrong in this- you _know_ I am right… This whole situation could have been avoided if someone, _anyone_ , would have given a shit enough to care! It's like his whole life was a part of 'How to create a school shooter 101'!" he pleaded with her to understand, his voice pitching slightly.

"Spencer, I do see it… I understand; I do! But we have a job to do here- we have to remain impartial… Kyle Borden had tormented Jordan, he was murdered, brutally… and right now, those boys who made the video of Owen are missing. They never showed up for school today. _They_ are our concern, and _you_ have to understand that…" she shook her head when he looked at her with disinterest.

"Reid… they are the victims…"

"They wouldn't be, if they hadn't put themselves there…" he shrugged, turning away to look out a window.

"Hey… what the hell, Reid? What is wrong with you!?" she asked, pulling on his arm, turning him around to face her. "You can't tell me you think it's perfectly fine that Owen is hunting down these kids… they're only children too!"

"It's not that I think it's the right way, Scarlett," he said quietly, looking down at her. "But I understand him- Owen- I can understand how he feels… He's protecting Jordan. He loves her, and he feels like she's all he has left…" Reid sighed, looking up at the ceiling, then back down to meet Scarlett's eyes.

"I can understand that feeling," he admitted to her, reaching over to touch her face gently. "He just wants to give her, and himself, the peace he hasn't had, ever, in his whole life…"

Scarlett placed her hand over his, pressing it against her cheek. She dropped a quick kiss to his wrist before he pulled away.

"Spence, this isn't about you and me, lover. Don't look at it that way…" she warned him. "You can't help but empathize with Owen, I get it… I feel for Jordan too- she loves him just as much… he's her protector, her world; but we can't just walk away when he has decided to go on a killing spree…"

"We both know how this is going to end, Scarlett… I can't be a part of that- I can't watch another boy die in front of me," he told her, reaching out, then quickly dropping his arms.

"Spence," Scarlett looked around, making sure they were alone. She moved into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She felt him lean into her, breathing in deeply, taking in her scent.

"My sweet boy, it's not your fault… what happened in Chula Vista wasn't your fault. You know that…" Scarlett rubbed her hands along his tense back, listening to his heart beat strong under her ear.

"I didn't say the right thing… If I'd gone about it differently…"

"Spence, please…" Scarlett lifted her face to him. "Please stop tormenting yourself on the 'what ifs'. You can't change what happened. All any of us can do is deal with the now…"

Reid looked down into her eyes, seeing the truth there. He sighed deeply, holding her tighter, as he leaned in to kiss her.

"I know," he said as he pressed his lips against hers. "I know, Scarlett. I'm trying to fix the 'now'," he told her. "If there is some way I could stop Owen from killing himself…"

"You'll try," Scarlett finished his sentence for him.

"Yes," he breathed the word against her mouth, stealing another kiss from her.

Scarlett moved back as she heard the handle click on the library door. They put some space between themselves as JJ walked in the room.

"Hey, guys… Garcia is searching through Owen's computer, with Morgan. It doesn't look good- he's deleted everything, but she's working on it. Hotch wants us all back at the station…"

"Right, okay…" Reid took Scarlett's hand as she passed him, pulling her back for a moment, as JJ headed out to the SUV.

"I love you, Scarlett…" he told her, pressing a kiss across his rings on her hand.

Scarlett watched his face, seeing something there that he wasn't saying.

"As I love you, my sweet farm boy," she said as she touched his jawline, trailing her fingers across it. When he smiled slightly, it didn't quite meet his eyes, and Scarlett noticed.

Spencer took her hand, pressing it against his heart. He lowered his forehead to bump against hers and kissed her nose.

"Let's get going…" he sighed, moving away from her, leading her towards the doors.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Reid and JJ followed Scarlett into the office of the police department that had been set aside for use by the BAU. Hotch was talking to Garcia on the laptop screen. He moved it on the desk so everyone was able to view. Scarlett sat down before the screen and Penny gave her a huge smile.

"He deleted everything, but that one m-peg… I'm walking Morgan through retrieving the deleted files as we speak, sir," Penelope's voice rang out over the speakers.

"We've got three missing kids Garcia; we need to access any information that might tell us where he's taken them…" Hotch reminded her.

"The kid is very tech-savvy, sir… but fret not, I am tech-savvier… Is that even a word? That's a word, right?" Penelope rattled out, looking at Scarlett for confirmation. "If it is a word, I am it…" she said as she lifted her mug to take a drink.

Scarlett smiled at her friend. "DC time, Pens," she teased her.

Penelope looked over at the clock on the wall. "Umm, it's 11:17 am, my sweets," she answered, giving Scarlett the current time in Washington DC.

Scarlett chuckled. "No, honey, DC time- decaf…" she told her jittery girlfriend.

"Ohhhh," Penelope laughed and set her cup down. "Right. I will hit you all back as soon as Morgan and I find anything," she grinned, signing off the connection.

Scarlett turned to look back as Rossi spoke.

"Two alienated kids, no maternal presence, dysfunctional relationships with dominating fathers who withheld love… They were made for each other," he stated on a sigh.

Scarlett bit her lip, shaking her head. "As lovers- maybe, but partners in crime? No… there is nothing in Jordan's profile that says she is capable of violence. And certainly not murder…"

The connection on the laptop signed back on. Scarlett turned her attention back to the screen. Garcia looked upset.

"What happened Penny?" Scarlett asked quickly, concern moving across her own face.

"Uh, a new m-peg just posted to the school's social network…" Scarlett watched her friend struggle to get the words out. "He… oh, God… you guys have to see this…" Garcia looked tormented as she switched the screen to view the upload on the site.

They saw the three missing boys kneeling in their boxer shorts, alongside a riverbed.

Scarlett memorized each item, the bridge, the skyline, the riverbank, to review against the maps in her head. A song played in the background. She recognized Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" immediately, as it was already in her own playlist.

She looked quickly back at Spencer, knowing he'd have recognized it, also. He met her gaze and held it for a moment. They both knew from those lyrics, what was going to happen next. Owen was telling them that Judgment Day had come.

The boys pleaded to someone off the screen.

" _It was a joke, man… we didn't mean anything by it…"_ cried one of the boys.

" _It was three years ago- nobody even remembers it…"_ the other boy added, sobs choking his own voice.

" _I do…"_ Owen's voice was heard from behind the camera.

Scarlett felt herself choke on her own sob as Spencer's hand touched her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. She grabbed his hand, not wanting him to pull away as her eyes were frozen on the screen.

"Close your eyes," he leaned forward, whispering softly to her, not wanting the images to be burnt into her mind. Scarlett obeyed, forcing herself to look away. She turned her head towards Spencer's body, leaning into him.

Reid ignored protocol for the moment, and held Scarlett. He ran a hand down her hair, blocking her view of the screen. He watched the scene play out in front of his eyes, his face showing sorrow, even as the others of the team each held horror, grief and despondency.

They were too late…

" _Owen, wait, don't… Don't…"_ one of the boys begged. Reid nudged Scarlett as the camera angled away from them and she studied the scene once again. The sound of the shots from an automatic rifle firing off screen filled the small office.

Scarlett cringed at the sound, pushing back from the images, closer to Spencer. He covered her ears, as her words from earlier came back to haunt him…

'… _they're only children too!'_

Hotch's voice broke through the silence in the room.

"Garcia, is there any way to trace the m-peg back to the computer that sent it?" he asked.

"It was sent through Jordan's smartphone, but he's hacked the sim card… he's anonymized it… it stops the phone from sending its current position. Hackers do it to stop roaming charges…" Penelope's voice broke back onto the speakers. "The cell company will notice it and shut it down…"

"So even if it's turned on and he's using it, we can't track it?" Rossi asked.

"Bingo," Garcia replied.

"Have the cell company leave the service on, in case he uses it for anything else," Aaron told her.

"Yes, sir…"

"I know where they are at, from the background," Scarlett stated softly. She stood, walking over to the map on the wall and placed her finger near the site.

"Owen won't still be there," Hotch nodded, "But maybe we will get lucky and he'll have left us a clue. I'll get Sheriff Wallen…" he stated as he walked out of the room. Dave followed him.

Spencer waited as Scarlett scanned the maps once again.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Three young boys were just cut down in front of us, Reid… and their murder was placed up on the school site for all their family and friends to see, like a trophy…" she answered in a tight voice. "No, I'm not okay…"

"We couldn't have stopped this, Scarlett… It's not our fault."

"No, it's not… It's Owen's. Are you still going to defend him?" she asked, feeling anger heat her words.

"I'm not trying to defend his actions, Scarlett. I want to get him help, so he doesn't feel he needs to die too…"

Scarlett closed her eyes, pressing her fingers against the lids, trying to stop the visions trapped there.

"You may not be able to change that, Spence… Can you deal with that probability?" she asked, lifting her hands away from her eyes to look up at him.

"I'll do my job, Scarlett. I always do…" he told her, turning away to head out side with the others.

She watched his back, let out a stressed sigh, and followed him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Scarlett sat in the front seat of the SUV, directing Hotch towards where she knew they would find the bodies. Rossi and Reid sat silently in the back seat. Spencer watched Scarlett's face, noting her lips moving, repeating the words to the song they'd heard Owen playing in the background of the killing spree.

After they crossed over a set of train tracks, Scarlett motioned.

"Over there," she said softly, breaking the silence. "We'll find them to the right, by the river's edge, if he hasn't tossed them in…" she shuddered slightly, her mind already picturing what they would find.

Sheriff Wallen and one of his deputies followed in the marked police car, behind them, pulling in as they exited their vehicle.

"And you know this is the place, just from the map?" he said, stepping up to Scarlett and Hotch. Scarlett walked slowly, leading them by looking between the bridge, the layout of the land and the picture in her head.

"Agent Ryan has an eidetic memory. She can rebuild images in her mind from scenes, utilizing them into real world," Reid explained, coming up behind them. "She can see every inch of what's here from the video Owen sent…"

"Yes," she responded, also answering the sheriff's question. "The angle from the video would put us right over… there…" she said, pointing about fifty yards down from where they stood. Already from this view, they could see the bodies at the river's edge. Scarlett looked away, up to the bright blue of the sky.

"I don't envy her that parlor trick," the sheriff muttered as she led them in.

"Neither do I," Spencer agreed softly. He moved closer to Scarlett's side as they came up on the bodies. The deputy started taking pictures of the crime scene.

"There's a man, going 'round, taking names…" she was saying quietly. She looked up as Reid moved into her line of site and took up the words, speaking them louder, letting the others hear…

"And he decides who to free, and who to blame. Everybody won't be treated all the same…" he finished, looking into her eyes.

"Johnny Cash…" Dave said as he overheard them. "That's the song Owen was playing when he did this, right?"

Spencer nodded but kept his eyes locked on Scarlett's. His mind was going over the playlist that Scarlett had the song listed under, which was 'Out of BubbleGum'. He had asked her once about it, and she had explained it was listed that way because of a line in a movie.

' _I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble gum… and I'm all out of bubblegum…_ ' she'd told him. She filled that list with songs for when she was working out, trying to vent frustrations.

"He's out of bubble gum," Reid told her. "Venting frustrations…" he said, telling Scarlett what he was thinking. "He's collecting names, living out revenge fantasies…"

"The family, school and social dynamics certainly seem to fit perfectly," Scarlett agreed with where Reid was going in his musings.

"He's not just your average school shooter, taking out as many people as he can in the shortest amount of time… He's collecting injustices," she finished, looking at Hotch.

"I agree. We are ready to give the profile…" he stated.

"Do you think any of them will listen long enough to hear this can possibly end peacefully?" Rossi asked their small group quietly enough that the officers nearby would not overhear.

"I certainly hope so," Scarlett said, stepping over a set of rocks, moving up to where she knew Owen would have been standing. Spencer reached over, holding her hand briefly as she moved over the unstable ground. She felt him press three fingers against her palm. She pressed their signal back to him, before releasing it.

Scarlett stopped, looking down at the foot prints in the dirt. "He was standing here…"

Rossi picked up a few of the spent shells that littered the ground. Sheriff Wallen stepped up alongside of them.

"We are going to meet your other officers back at the station, to give them the profile," he told the man. "There is a distinct possibility we may be able to talk Owen into surrendering himself with no further loss of life."

Wallen nodded. "That would be a relief," he stated, looking back over the carnage below. "I'll come back with you… talk to the others…"

The drive back to the station was quicker. Hotch was talking with JJ over the phone, telling her to gather the officers who were available into the main meeting room. As the team walked into the area, they overheard some of the complaints already starting.

"If you will just listen for a moment, you'll understand…" JJ's voice could be heard over some of the officer's complaints.

"We are wasting our time listening to you, when we should be out searching for Owen…" one said.

"We already know he did it… we just need to round him up…" stated another.

Scarlett stood back at Spencer's side, seeing the concern etched in his face, understanding the reasoning behind it. If these officers wouldn't listen to them, this could easily turn into a lynch mob, except with a caveat; they could say it was justified for them to kill Owen.

"Owen is _here_ , and we should be out knocking on doors!" one of the deputies told JJ.

"That's not a good idea," Hotch stepped forward.

"And why is that?" the man questioned.

"Because Owen is watching. He's monitoring the news and right now he thinks that you think he is gone- he feels safe…" Hotch told him, trying to calm the room. "If we start knocking on doors, he's going to know that he's not- and he'll feel trapped," he told them.

"Why the hell should we care about this little bastard's feelings?" another deputy asked, clearly irritated.

"Alright... Look," Scarlett jumped into the fray, lifting her voice. "We are here to give you all the best options on how to bring in Owen with minimal loss of life. The profile will help you do that! Your lives, the lives of innocent by-standers and the life of an innocent teenaged girl all hang on how you will be acting and reacting to Owen. So, please, let us do our jobs… and just _listen_ …" she ground out, looking each one of them in the eye.

Spencer shoved his hands into his pockets as he addressed the room. "Owen Savage fits the type of school shooter that we consider an injustice collector," he explained, trying to express the importance of this fact to the officers. "He's trying to avenge perceived wrongs."

"If he's a 'school shooter', then why hasn't he hit the school yet?" an officer asked.

"Jordan…" Scarlett looked over the crowd, caught Reid's eyes for a brief moment then continued. "Most of these guys are so angry and hopeless… they just want to kill as many people as possible then commit suicide. But Jordan gives him reason to live…"

Reid looked over at her and nodded, as he continued with explaining the profile.

"Otherwise he is a textbook case. His life was one torment after another. His teachers gave up on him, his classmates bullied him and his father blamed him, while giving him access to guns. Given these conditions, you're actually quite fortunate…" he finished, giving the questioning deputy and sheriff a cocky stare.

Scarlett closed her eyes, willing Spencer to stop with his tirade. She heard the officer respond tightly.

"It sounds like you are saying these victims deserved this…" he accused Reid.

Hotch jumped in, not allowing Spencer to reply. Scarlett could tell that their supervisor was increasingly apprehensive about how Reid was handling the situation.

"We're not…" Hotch took over the dialogue, interrupting the hostile exchange. "Nobody deserves this…"

"But you could have prevented it…" Reid interjected. Scarlett's eyes widened as she heard his outburst.

Hotch turned slightly, facing Spencer. "Reid, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked quietly, moving through the room, leading the younger agent to an empty office.

Rossi looked at Scarlett. She gave him a slight shrug as she shook her head. Whatever was motivating Spencer to press at agitating the officers, she wasn't aware of it. He was acting on his own. She glanced over to the doors that they had disappeared behind…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Inside the room, Spencer was arguing his point with Hotch.

"It's the truth… They could have done something. They all worked with his father, they knew Owen…" Reid told his supervisor, his voice lowered and tight.

"So what?!" Hotch tossed back at him. "All adolescents profile like sociopaths- there is a reason why you can't diagnose them until they're eighteen…"

Reid interrupted. "They could have seen the signs…" he tossed back, becoming more agitated.

"Nobody 'sees the signs', Reid! You know that! And making this their fault isn't only unfair- it's dangerous!" Hotch moved closer, raising his voice slightly. He looked at Reid, taking in the anger behind the younger agent's eyes. He lowered his voice, trying to reason with him.

"Now, I want you to go back to the Savage house, and I want you to go through Owen's room…"

Reid bit his lip and scowled. "Morgan's already doing that…" he countered.

Hotch stepped up to Spencer, asserting his authority. "Yeah, and you are going to join him," he demanded.

Spencer narrowed his eyes at his superior. "Oh, so you are _punishing_ me?!" he snapped.

Hotch stared at Spencer. In all the years they had worked together, he'd never pushed back like this. Aaron shook his head, pressing his point, his eyes showing his disapproval.

"No… I'm _using_ you," he countered. "You know this kid better than anybody? Then bring us something we can use!" Hotch ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

Spencer looked into Hotch's face, seeing the exasperation and disbelief there. He closed his mouth into a thin line, turned, threw open the door, and blew through the front office as quickly as he could, without meeting anyone's eyes. He heard JJ apologizing to Sheriff Wallen…

"I'm sorry, he was out of line…" she was saying. Reid felt the embarrassment of being discussed in such a light heat his face.

Scarlett was waiting just outside the main doors. When Spencer hurried down the stairs without even looking back, she called out to him.

"Reid!"

He stopped short, but didn't turn around to face her.

"Hotch told me to go work with Morgan to find out where Owen could be hiding…" he told her, without turning around to look at her. He took another step down, away from her.

"I see," she said, a confused look crossing her features. She waited, staring at his back. She saw him sigh, his shoulders raised and lowered, just before he tensed again.

"I've really got to go, Scarlett…" he told her curtly.

"Right, uh, sure… I know," she agreed quickly, biting her lips together so she wouldn't say anything else. She backed up a step, moving away from him.

When he started forward again, Scarlett turned away to move back inside. She reached for the door to pull it open just as his hand hit the frame, slamming it back closed.

Scarlett jumped slightly, not realizing he'd followed her back up the stairs.

"You aren't paying attention…" Spencer accused her. His voice was in her ear, his cheek pressed into her hair. She willed herself to remain neutral, even as her nerves felt pulled thin. "You promised me you'd pay attention…"

"You aren't making it easy for me…" she snapped. "I'm finding myself a bit sidetracked by your tantrums at the moment."

Spencer closed his eyes, letting the smell of her fill his senses. He wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her away from the door, off to the side of the building.

"Reid!" she slapped at his hands, turning to face him even as he backed her up towards the corner. "What the hell!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, nudging her, taking her chin in his hand. "Please, don't worry about me… Scarlett- I need you to have your head in the game…"

She tensed up, scowling at him. "You are telling _me_ to get my head in the game?" she squeaked out. "You had an entire roomful of already agitated cops ready to rip your head off in there- and you're acting like you are daring them to!"

Scarlett felt his fingers gently stroking against her throat. He shouldered her back against the wall, reaching down to press his lips against hers. Scarlett shoved him back a step.

"No… you tell me what's on your mind Reid… Talk to me, damn it!" she demanded, instead of giving in to his kiss.

"I want you to be safe," he said, watching her eyes. "If this goes south- If I'm not around when it does… I want to know you are safe," he told her. He watched her eyes.

"I'm worried, Scarlett…" he stated softly, begging her to believe him.

"Spence…" Scarlett closed her eyes and dragged in a quick breath. "I'm worried about _you_ …"

He looked away for a moment, concentrating on a spot above her head. Scarlett nudged him.

"Those cops in there are going to force him into a showdown. You and I both know that. I keep seeing this picture in my mind of you being in the middle of it…" he whispered.

"Reid," Scarlett began to scold him, warning him that she could do her job… but he stopped her.

"Could you do it, Scarlett? Could you draw down on that seventeen year old boy, and end his life?"

Spencer watched as she opened and then quickly closed her mouth, pressing her lips together tightly.

"I'll do my job, Reid…" she told him, but he already saw the truth in her eyes.

"You would try everything else, first…" he told her. "And I keep seeing a situation where you try to reason with an automatic rifle- and fail…" he admitted to her. When he saw her eyes narrow, he tried again.

"Or the other scenario I see is you get the shot- and have to live with seeing that boy die, over and over again in your mind for the rest of your life… I just… I just don't want either of those things to happen, Scarlett…"

"You're picking up my bad habits, Reid… visualizing things that haven't or won't even ever happen…" she tried to tease him a bit, make him realize that he was over-thinking the situation. When he only crossed his arms, scowling down at her, she tried again.

"So you empathize with Owen, and you are trying to protect me… that's a very precarious position you've put yourself into, Dr. Reid," Scarlett told him. "Odds are against this ending peacefully. You need to come to terms with that…" she told him, seeing him pull back from her. She grabbed his arm, not letting him move away.

"Spencer," she sighed heavily, watching him emotionally close off from what she was saying.

"Farm boy…" she called him softly, gaining his attention again. "I'll pay closer attention, okay?" she told him, reaching up to touch his cheek. He nodded silently, taking a step forward, dropping his eyes to her lips.

When he leaned forward this time, Scarlett didn't stop him. Instead, she held on to him, taking in all the love he was offering. His lips tasted at hers, biting softly, parting them until she gave in. The heat flashed between them and Spencer leaned into her more fully, backing her against the wall. She tasted the warmth of his kiss, felt the desperation behind it and let him take his fill.

After a few more moments, he began to rein himself in…

Spencer pulled back, just a bit, as if becoming aware of his surroundings. "Sorry," he apologized once again.

"Stop apologizing to me, sweetheart," she told him, reaching up to steal another kiss. "We are clear here," she teased as he looked around again.

Spencer nodded, giving her a soft smile as he took her lips once again.

"I'd better get over to meet up with Morgan…" he said reluctantly.

"I know…" she agreed.

He closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. "I don't want to leave your side…" he admitted.

"Spence…" Scarlett touched his cheek. "I just can't…"

"I know," he stopped her. "I know…" Reid took her hand in his and kissed it. "Stay safe, Scarlett…"

"I will…" she responded, watching as he headed back down the stairs again towards the SUV. As he pulled away from the curb, she re-entered the station. She pulled out her cell phone along the way, giving Derek a call.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Yeah, I got that…" Derek had his phone at his ear, when Spencer walked into the house. He noticed Reid headed straight into the bedroom, not even bothering to look around or greet him.

"Still…" he said into phone. He heard Scarlett sigh.

"I thought maybe something I'd said had gotten through to him during the ride over," she told her brother from her side of the call.

Derek stayed back from the doorway. "Don't worry baby girl. I'll try to talk to him…"

"Thanks, D…" she said quietly as she disconnected the call.

Spencer didn't even look over when Derek entered into the room.

"Hey…" Morgan crossed over to stand beside the bed. "Garcia restored all the emails… I read the first few…" he said to his friend. He figured, if questioned, he'd say he was talking to Penelope on the phone. He should've realized Reid would have been a move ahead.

"Yeah, I know… I already talked to her on the way over. I'm sorting through them right now," Spencer answered, reading the pages quickly as they scanned before him.

Derek tossed his phone onto the bed, letting out a breath as he tried to think of a way to bring up the subject of Reid's attitude.

"I guess I must really have your sister on edge, if she has resorted to pulling you in, too…" Spencer said, offhandedly. He never even took his eyes off the screen, while letting Derek know he'd overheard some of the conversation.

Morgan stopped for only a half second, shaking his head, before moving to sit on the bed behind Reid's back. "She's worried about you, kid. We all are…" he started, but dropped that angle as soon as he noticed Reid's shoulders tense up. He sighed quietly, scrubbing his hand over his face. He looked around Owen's room, trying to think of another tactic.

"Reid… You aren't the only one who identifies with this kid…"

Spencer stopped clicking through the various windows of emails to stop and look back at Morgan. Seeing the look on his friend's face, he turned around to give Derek his full attention.

"If Scarlett…" Spencer started. Morgan interrupted him.

"You said earlier that I was a high school jock- You weren't wrong," Derek grinned slightly. "I was… but not at first," he added.

"My freshman year, I was five-three…" he told Spencer, lifting his hand slightly from the floor. "I was a buck twenty, soaking wet…" he added with a chuckle, causing Reid to grin.

"So believe me when I tell you I got my ass kicked every day…" Derek leaned forward a little, keeping the story going. "So the following summer, I hit the weights. And I got lucky, I grew six inches. But it never was about vanity, kid… It was about survival…"

Reid absorbed the story, listening to what his friend shared. He squirmed in his chair, looking uncomfortable, as he cleared his throat.

"I was in the library… when Harper Hilman came up to me. She, uh, she tells me Alexa Lisbon wants to meet me behind the field house," Spencer met Morgan's eyes, embarrassment starting to heat his cheeks.

"Now, uh… Alexa Lisbon is by far the prettiest girl in school…" he told Derek.

"So what happened? Alexa wasn't there?" Morgan asked, thinking he knew were the story was leading.

"Oh, no… she was there. So was the entire football team. They… uh…" he struggled for the words for a minute, the memory coming back to him like a tidal wave. He remembered the feelings as if it had happened yesterday.

"They stripped me naked and tied me up to the goal post… So many kids were there, you know? Just _watching_ …"

"Nobody tried to stop them?" Derek asked.

Spencer shook his head negatively. "I begged… I begged them, but they just watched…"

Reid ran his hand through his hair, looking around the room, avoiding Morgan's eyes, trying to regain composure.

"Finally, they got bored, and just left…" he sighed. "It was around midnight when I finally got home… and my mom didn't…" Spencer stopped for another second, catching his breath when he heard his voice breaking. "Uh, mom was in one of her episodes and hadn't even noticed I was late…" he finished, managing a wan smile to his friend.

"You never told her what happened?" Derek asked.

Spencer shook his head again. "I never told anybody. I thought… uh…" he stopped and cleared his throat again. "I thought, that it was one of those things that if I didn't talk about it, I could forget… but I haven't- It's the one memory that stands out from high school. The one thing I can see clearly… I can see it as clearly as Scarlett remembers things. I just wanted to forget, but I can see it like it was yesterday…"

"Ah, Reid… you don't need an eidetic memory for that," Morgan told him. "You know, we forget most of the stuff they teach us in school, but when it comes to the torment and the people who inflicted it, we all have an elephant's memory…"

Spencer shook his head sadly. "Owen just wants to forget… I know what that's like…" he confided to Derek.

Morgan let out a sigh, looking over Reid's shoulder at the computer. "From the few emails I read, I know he is making a big deal about saying good bye to Jordan. None of it is in shorthand," he said, bringing them back to the case. "That's odd."

Spencer nodded, turning back to the computer. He stopped, as something occurred to him, swinging back to face Morgan.

"He never got a chance to say good bye to his mother. Abandonment is his biggest fear. That's why he chose Jordan, he thinks she'll never leave," he told him.

Derek straightened up, catching on to what Spencer was pointing out.

"If we can find a way to get Jordan to turn herself in, he may follow suit…" Morgan said.

"Or we take away his reason to live, and he commits suicide," Reid said softly.

"It's a chance we're going to need to take," Derek told him.

"I know… I pretty much had this same conversation with your sister before I came here…" Spencer stated, giving his friend a slight grin.

"From what I'd gathered, she didn't think she'd gotten her point across."

Reid shook his head. "I got her point. I know she is right. I know you are right," he told Derek. "I, uh… I'm worried about her too, Morgan. I keep getting this feeling that she's going to be in the middle of this… however it ends. I keep seeing her hurt- either by Owen or by having to be the one who stops him…" he saw Derek nod, listening.

"If it comes to that… If I'm not around… would you do me a favor and stop it from touching her? I don't want her to have those memories…" he stopped, looking Morgan in the eye.

"I don't want her to have the image of a kid being murdered in front of her burned into her head…"

Derek nodded, knowing from what Scarlett had said over the phone, that some of this was stemming from what happened in Chula Vista.

"You know I'll do whatever I can to protect her, Reid. I always have…"

Spencer nodded. "Yeah, I know you will… I didn't mean to sound like I thought you wouldn't… I just…"

"You just want her protected. You want to protect her… I get it Reid. I do…" he reached over and slapped Spencer on the shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze.

"Okay… yeah," Spencer mentally shook himself and stood up from the chair. "We need to talk to the others, see if there is a way to get to Jordan. If she doesn't know what Owen has done- if we can show her… we can probably convince her to come in, or turn Owen in…"

"Let's head back to the station," Morgan agreed. He gave Spencer a sideways glance as they headed out the door. "Do me one favor, kid…"

Reid frowned slightly as he slid into the passenger's seat of the SUV. "Sure, anything. Just name it…"

"Keep your mouth shut at the station house…" Derek grinned. Spencer matched his smile, shaking his head slightly.

"Scarlett told you about that, too…" he stated.

"Yeah- she seems to think you are looking for an ass kicking… which, if you keep it up, I think she'd be more than happy to give you," Morgan laughed.

Reid nodded. "I promise, I'll keep my opinions to myself," he swore. "I'm pretty sure I even pissed off Hotch… so keeping my mouth shut is probably the best option," he agreed.

Derek nodded, pulling the vehicle out of the Savage's driveway and headed to the station. He gave his brother-in-law a quick smile.

"Probably?" he said, raising a brow. Spencer grinned.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Scarlett held her phone to her ear. "Hi sweetheart… what's up?" she answered as Norie's voice came over the line. She smiled at hearing the girl's jubilant voice…

"Scarlett! Hi… I know you are busy- but I wanted to tell you- I got the part I wanted in the school's play! I've been practicing, just like you told me… and I had a try out yesterday… and today they gave me the part!" the young voice squealed in excitement.

"Oh, honey, that is wonderful news!" Scarlett smiled, brushing her hair back over her ear. "I am so happy for you," she told her sister.

"Mama is just busting over here," Norie laughed. "She's already marking the calendar and everything…"

"I'm sure she is!" Scarlett laughed also, imagining her mom doing just that. "You make sure you send me those dates too, little one… I'm going to make certain I get there…"

"That'd be great," Norie told her. "After all, you taught me how to see the words come alive… I'd love to have you see me in the play…"

"I promise I will, baby girl," Scarlett assured her, cradling the phone to her ear.

"Scarlett… I wanted to ask, but I know you're busy and all- so if you don't get the time off, I promise I'll understand…"

"Norie, I will promise to do everything possible to be there…"

"I know, Sissy…"

Scarlett looked up as Spencer and Morgan walked into the station's office.

"We think we've found a way to get Owen to surrender…" Reid was talking as he was walking into the office.

"Hey, baby… I've got to get back to work…" Scarlett said softly into the phone. "I'll talk to you more later…"

"Okay…" the voice on the other end got quiet. "Be careful, Scarlett…" she said softly.

 _Oh, not you too_ … Scarlett thought, hearing the worry in her sister's voice.

"Hey, pumpkin… I'm always careful… and right now I'm safe and sound, pushing papers around in the middle of a cop shop… so don't you worry about me," she told her, keeping her voice light.

"Okay… I love you Sissy…" Norie stated simply, causing Scarlett throat to tighten.

"I love you too, little one. More than there are stars in the sky…"

"More than grains of sand at the beach," Norie picked up the theme, with a grin.

Scarlett chuckled. "Okay, babes… talk to you later…"

"Later…" Norie responded as Scarlett disconnected the call, giving Morgan and Reid her undivided attention.

"Owen's mother's death left him with severe issues of abandonment. If we can get Jordan away from him, we can save her… and may be able to get him to turn himself in…" Spencer was telling Hotch as Scarlett moved into the circle of her coworkers.

Hotch crossed his arms over his chest. "Or take away his reason to live. He may commit suicide," he mentioned.

Scarlett saw Spencer look away, studying the board that was covered in pictures of Owen's victims.

"It's our best chance of saving Jordan," Derek stated. "If we don't try this, she may get caught in the middle, once the locals catch up with them…"

"How can we get Jordan to leave him?" Hotch asked.

Reid looked back at Hotch. "He's kept Jordan in the dark. She doesn't know about the murders…" he mentioned.

"You want to tell her?" Aaron watched Reid's eyes.

"It may be the only way…" Spencer answered.

"If we can tell her, we may be able to get her to turn him in," Morgan told them. "We may still be able to save him too."

Hotch looked over his team. "Even if we could get a message to Jordan, how can we get her to believe us? The only one she trusts is Owen."

Scarlett shook her head, looking over at JJ. "That may not be true. I think I know someone who can help us gain Jordan's trust…" she said, watching JJ for confirmation.

"Eileen…" JJ nodded. "You want to ask Eileen to help us. Do you think she will?"

Scarlett shrugged. "I don't know. We'll have to reassure her that this is the best way to get Jordan back safely. Eileen doesn't believe Owen will hurt Jordan. I don't disagree," Scarlett looked over to Hotch. "I don't believe Owen will hurt her either, at least not intentionally. But if she's with him when the locals catch up to him…"

"She'll be caught in the crossfire… I understand," Hotch nodded, meeting Scarlett's concerned look. "We need to impress that fact on Eileen," he stated. "Let's go…"

JJ pulled out her phone, putting a call into the Bechtold's home, to gain permission from her parents for the FBI to speak with her once again. Scarlett slid into the passenger's seat of the SUV, punching the address into the vehicle's GPS from memory. She tossed a look over her shoulder as JJ finished the call.

"She'll talk to us…"

Scarlett nodded, turning her mind towards how to best lay the situation out to the young girl. She didn't notice that Reid seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

Once they reached Eileen's home, Scarlett and JJ headed in to talk to Eileen, while Hotch and Spencer spoke to her parents, explaining the situation.

"Jordan doesn't know what Owen has done… she has no idea of the danger she is in," JJ was explaining to the girl.

"No, Owen would never hurt her…"

Scarlett shook her head. "He may not- but if the police find them, she may get put in the middle, despite him wanting to protect her… she can get harmed in the crossfire…"

"We've seen it happen many times…" JJ agreed.

"We are trying to save her, and you are the only one she will listen to," Scarlett added, looking at Eileen. The girl looked away.

JJ tried again. "We want to send her a text, explaining the reality of the situation to her, that's all…"

"If you want to be her friend, if you want to protect her, help us to help her. She deserves to at least know the truth about what's going on, so she can make an informed decision on if she wants to stay with Owen," Scarlett pleaded.

Eileen made a pained face, but opened the connection on her computer.

"Jordan… there are some people here with me who want to talk to you. Listen to what they have to say. They are with the FBI…" her message read. She hit send and looked over at Scarlett.

"You made the right decision," Scarlett told her.

"It doesn't feel right," the younger woman said sadly. She stood up and left the room just as Hotch and Reid walked in. JJ followed Eileen.

Spencer looked over at the troubled look on Scarlett's face, and moved to take Eileen's seat at the computer. He read the text and looked back up at Scarlett. She shook her head to clear it, concentrating on the matter at hand.

"Send her the news coverage," Hotch told Reid, looking over his shoulder.

Spencer linked the web page to the news onto the text message.

"Tell her we know Owen didn't tell her what he did," Scarlett added, wanting to be sure Jordan didn't think she was in trouble.

The screen blinked as the messages sent. In a few moments, they received a response.

" _It's a lie… You are liars…"_ came on the screen.

"Send her the m-peg," Hotch told Spencer. He hesitated, looking back to Scarlett then to the superior. Hotch met his eyes.

"Reid… do it…" Hotch nodded, directing him to follow the order. Scarlett rested her hand on Spencer's shoulder. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the flash drive, plugging it into the laptop.

"She needs to see it, Spence…" Scarlett said softly. "She deserves the truth…"

Spencer nodded once, uploading the clip and sending it over to Jordan.

"Tell her that when the police find them, she could be killed…" Scarlett added, hoping the warning would bring her back.

"No. Tell her that when the police come, Owen will kill her, then himself," Hotch told Spencer.

Reid sighed, but typed in the message. The response that came back was almost immediate.

" _You lie. Owen loves me."_

The connection was disconnected. Scarlett shook her head, stepping back from the desk.

"She's gone… now what?" Reid stated flatly.

"We've planted the seed. Now we wait," Hotch answered, turning to leave the room. "Keep the communication open, in case she signs back in…" he told them.

Scarlett looked out the window, staring into the street below. Neatly manicured yards spread out in rows, for as far as she could see.

"How many times are we going to stand in average towns, in average homes, of average families, and see the unimaginable… see the horror stories hidden behind the closed doors, and have to bring them into the light?" she asked quietly, to no one in particular.

Spencer stood up, moving to stand behind her. He touched her arms, leaning her back against his chest.

Scarlett sighed and closed her eyes to the view. "You don't like this any more than I do," she stated, feeling his breath on her neck.

"No." Reid said simply. "But you were right; she deserved to know the truth. What she decides from this point on is her choice…"

Scarlett took Spencer's hands, pulling his arms tighter around her. "I hope she doesn't stay to try to protect him…" she worried.

"Her choice, Scarlett…" Reid said again, holding her close. He pressed his lips against her temple and closed his eyes as she reached up to stroke his cheek.

"I'd stay," she said quietly. "If it were me, I'd stay…"

Spencer hugged her tighter for a moment, before turning her to face him. "She's not like you though, Scarlett. If we've proven to her what he is capable of doing, she may choose to turn herself in, hoping for a peaceful outcome."

"And you think I wouldn't choose the peaceful solution?" Scarlett blinked up at him, staring into his eyes.

Spencer gave her a half smile. "No, not in that way. You'd stay beside me, nagging me the whole time to turn myself in…" he teased her.

"Spencer Reid, are you calling your wife a nag?!" she asked incredulously, a smile tugging at her lips.

Reid laughed, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Yes…" he said without hesitation, his grin widening.

"You are such a…" Scarlett's laughing response was cut off by a dinging sound on the laptop. They both froze for a moment.

"She's back online…" Spencer said, squeezing Scarlett's hands quickly before moving back to the desk. Scarlett followed him, looking over his shoulder.

" _You were right,"_ the message read. _"What do I do?"_

"Ask her where she is," Scarlett said, signaling to Hotch and JJ in the other room. Spencer typed in the message.

" _If I tell you, you will hurt him,"_ came the response.

Scarlett pressed her lips in a grim line.

"She's not going to give him up," Spencer said.

"Ask her if she can get away," Hotch told them. Reid typed the new message in.

" _I can try…"_ the new message blinked onto the screen. The connection cut off.

Scarlett blew out a tense breath, turning to pace the room. Spencer watched her, understanding her feeling of frustration. It would be so much easier if they could have gone to Jordan, instead of having to wait…

The laptop showed the connection reopening.

"She's back," Spencer told Scarlett. She moved back to his shoulder, reading the text.

" _You turned her against me…"_ was all it said.

"It's not Jordan…" Reid stated, looking back at her.

"Oh, God," Scarlett breathed out. "Please tell me we didn't just get that girl killed…"

Hotch addressed the team. "We need to regroup. Let's head back to the station," he told them. JJ followed, leaving them alone in the room.

Spencer stood up, turning to face Scarlett.

"He won't hurt her…"

"But if she was trying to leave… He saw what we showed her- if he thinks she's against him…" she lamented, worry about the young girl, clouding her thoughts.

"Katy," Spencer leaned in a bit, looking into her eyes, speaking to her softly. "He won't hurt her…"

He watched her face, holding her hands tight, trying to assure her that Jordan would be safe.

"Okay," Scarlett closed her eyes, drew in a breath through her nose, and out through her mouth, trying to focus. After a few more deep breaths, she opened her eyes, looking into Spencer's hazel gaze. She smiled softly at him, squeezing his hand.

"Okay," she repeated herself. "She's going to be fine…"

Reid looked to the door, seeing no one was in the area. He tugged her forward, lifting her hands to his lips.

"He loves her, Katy. He won't hurt her…" he promised, pressing a kiss over her knuckles.

Scarlett opened her hand, tracing his lips with her thumb. He met her eyes.

"He wouldn't hurt her," he said again, leaning in to kiss her lips. "He'd never hurt her…"

Scarlett closed her eyes, feeling the weight of emotion in Spencer's kiss. She nodded, moving her hands to touch his face. Gently, she stroked his cheekbones, tracing a line down to his jaw.

Spencer deepened the kiss, moving his arms around her waist, holding her closer. He pulled back, watching Scarlett's face, seeing the love there as she opened her eyes. He pressed another kiss to her brow.

"Let's go," he told her.

Scarlett nodded, following him out to the SUV. Fate would play out its hand. All she could do was follow through.

Once they headed back into the station, Scarlett stood with JJ in the main office. JJ leaned against the wall, twisting her necklace. She watched Scarlett pace.

"We did the right thing," JJ told Scarlett.

"I know… I just wish…" Scarlett saw JJ straighten up, looking over her shoulder.

"Scarlett…" she said quietly, touching her arm. Scarlett turned around to see Jordan walking into the station.

"Oh, thank God," Scarlett said, following JJ over to the young woman.

"Jordan," JJ called to the girl.

Jordan turned, walking over to the agents.

"He didn't see me," she said, tears forming in her eyes. Scarlett wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her to one of the open offices. She sat down, continuing her story.

"He was digging," Jordan said, the tears coming freely now. "He didn't hear me until I started the truck. He tried to stop me, but I just kept driving," she sniffled. JJ handed her some tissues. Jordan gave her a weak smile.

"We need to know where he is, Jordan," Scarlett told the girl.

"No… if I tell you, you'll hurt him," she cried.

"We don't want to hurt Owen," Scarlett said softly. She reached over and touched her arm. "But we are afraid Owen might hurt himself, or someone else, if we don't get to him soon…" she explained.

Jordan turned her tearful gaze to JJ.

Scarlett saw JJ nod, encouraging the girl to tell. Jordan stammered over her tears.

"He's at the Stratman ranch," she wept. "Please, please don't let him get hurt," she cried.

Scarlett knelt down before the young girl.

"We will do everything we can, to bring Owen in safely, I promise," Scarlett told the girl. She avoided the look on JJ's face at her words, turning to head back to the main office to pass on the information to where Owen was hiding out.

Hotch was standing with the others, including the local police presence, already suited in riot gear. Scarlett met him, keeping her voice lowered.

"Stratman Ranch," she told him, passing him an address.

"Good job, Agent," Hotch nodded. When Scarlett started to reach for one of the vests, he stopped her.

"I'd like for you to stay here with JJ and watch over Jordan," Hotch told her in a lowered voice. "We need her statement," he said, keeping his gaze level on hers.

Scarlett stepped back, nodding.

Reid overheard the orders and hung back from the team to talk to Scarlett.

"I don't want you left behind," he told her. Scarlett watched his eyes, seeing the concern in them.

"Hey…" she shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'm going to be sitting here babysitting, remember?"

She looked over his shoulder to where the others were leaving. A quick brush of fear snaked up her spine but she stiffened against it.

"You are the one heading in… so, please, be careful," she begged him, cinching one of the velcro straps on his vest a bit tighter.

Spencer saw the worry cloud her green eyes.

"Katy…" he spoke her name softly, reaching out to touch her cheek.

Officers continued to move through the station, heading out after Owen. Scarlett bit the inside of her lips, pressing them into a thin line, shaking her head. Her eyes left his, roaming the room, indicating the others around them. She saw Spencer's gaze narrow, as if to say he didn't care that they weren't alone. He leaned in towards her…

"No, don't…" she told him, pulling back. "I think you've pushed your luck with Hotch enough for today, Reid," she tried joke, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Just… come back safe Spence, please…"

Reid nodded once, turning to follow the team. He didn't look back.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The team followed the police units into the property of the Stratman Ranch. Reid pushed himself out of the backseat of the SUV, following Hotch towards the main house. Morgan moved over towards one of the outer buildings, noticing a person slumped over by a copse of trees.

"Reid, a little help over here…" he shouted out to Spencer, calling him away from the others.

They both moved cautiously towards where the man was sprawled out in the dirt. Spencer kept cover while Derek checked for the man's vitals.

"He's gone…" Morgan told Reid.

They heard the calls coming from the house of _"Clear… clear…"_ and headed towards the front doors where Hotch was standing.

Rossi met them on the porch. "Owen isn't here…" he told them.

"There is a body over by the fence…" Morgan stated.

"And a half dug grave," Reid added.

"He left a note…" Sheriff Wallen came out the door holding a sheet of paper.

Spencer read the writing before Hotch even spoke. A feeling of dread came over him.

" _I'm going to return my mom's necklace…"_

"He may be heading home to get it, we didn't find it, but it may be there…" Hotch was saying. "Sheriff- you go there…"

"And you?" Wallen nodded, already instructing his deputies.

Reid started walking over to the SUV.

"Where is his mother buried?" Hotch turned towards the sound of Velcro ripping apart. He saw Spencer heading towards the back of the vehicle.

Reid held his emotions in tight check. He wouldn't get any chance to get a head start on the locals if he gave any indication as to what he was thinking. He turned at the sound of Hotch's voice.

"Reid, what are you doing?" Aaron asked, watching him remove the flak jacket.

Spencer shook his head. "He's going to force us to kill him," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I don't need to be a part of that," he told his supervisor, ripping the vest over his head. "You don't need me there…" he stated, pressing his lips together nervously.

Hotch watched Reid for a moment. He reached over, taking the vest from him.

"Meet me back at the station," he told Spencer, not wanting to waste any time debating the issue.

Spencer nodded once, turning and sliding into the driver's seat. He waited until he was out of sight of the ranch before he hit the accelerator, jumping the large SUV to its top speed.

All he could think of was that he needed every extra second he could get. If his supposition was right, Owen was going to the station. And Scarlett was there…

Scarlett heard tires screech to a stop outside the station and looked out the window. When she saw Spencer jump out of the driver's seat at a full run, she stood, throwing a quick look to JJ.

"Stay here," she told the other agent as she moved to meet Reid at the doors.

Spencer nearly ran into Scarlett as he came into the main office.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked, seeing the panic in his face.

"They think he's going to his mother's grave…" he told her in a rush, grabbing one of the pictures from the board as he headed in to the office where JJ was still sitting with Jordan.

"And you think he isn't?" Scarlett asked, following close behind him.

He threw a quick look to her as he showed the picture of Hope Savage to Jordan.

"He wasn't at the ranch when we got there…" Spencer spoke to Jordan. "I want to help save his life, but I need to know… this necklace… he gave it to you?"

Jordan touched her neck. "I, uh, I left it, at the ranch…" she stammered.

Reid stood, turning back out of the office. He looked down at Scarlett.

"He's coming here…" he told her, heading to the front again.

"Shit…" Scarlett unsnapped her weapon, looking over at JJ. "Shit…" she swore again roughly.

"Call Hotch," she ordered. "And don't let her out of this room…" she added as she hurried to follow Spencer out the front doors.

Once out on the sidewalk, Scarlett found Spencer searching the street. She stood beside him.

"What makes you think he's coming here?" she asked, looking at him.

Reid stopped searching long enough to meet her eyes.

"Because it is what I would do… I would go to wherever you were, Scarlett… I just did…" he told her, his tone holding only honesty.

Scarlett held her breath for a second at the intensity she saw in his eyes.

"Spence…" she began softly, but her voice cut off when she saw Owen turn the corner, holding his automatic rifle at his side. She reached for her own weapon…

"Scarlett," she heard Spencer's voice speak calmly as he moved passed her. "Cover me…" he said as he handed her his weapon.

"Whoa… What!?" Scarlett held his nine millimeter in her hands. "Spence… Spencer… wait…"

He turned to face her. He could see her face stricken in fear and shock.

"Katy… do _not_ shoot…" he ordered, raising a finger to hold her back. "I'm asking you to trust me, please…" he asked as he continued to walk backwards.

"Trust you?" she cried out, feeling the strain touch her voice. "Spencer…stop…"

He turned around to meet Owen in the street.

" _Reid_!"

Spencer heard her voice crack as she screamed his name, but kept moving forward.

"Owen… I don't have a gun…" he called out, his hands raised, showing that he was unarmed.

"My name is Spencer Reid, I'm with the FBI," he spoke clearly and calmly, stopping within a few feet of the younger man. "I'm here to help you…"

"Yeah?!" Owen barked out, pulling the rifle forward. "Well, I need you to get _back_!"

Scarlett felt her nerves jump at the sound of Owen's voice. She kept the gun trained on his shoulder, ready to shoot to disarm. But when he raised the rifle towards Spencer, she retrained her sights to Owen's head. Spencer's earlier words echoed in her head.

" _Could you do it, Scarlett? Could you draw down on that seventeen year old boy, and end his life?"_

She felt sweat run down her temple.

Spencer heard the siren's coming even as the agency's SUV's took the corner. He knew his opportunity to have Owen convinced to surrender was running short. The local officers wouldn't give him time to talk…

"Listen, Owen… I know the only reason you joined the team was for your father," he blurted out, trying to edge closer to the boy.

"I know he blamed you for what happened…"

"Stay back right where you are!" Owen shouted.

Scarlett flinched, readjusting her grip. She could see the team move out of the SUV. Morgan exited the passenger's door, keeping low, until he reached her side.

"I also know the only reason you killed Rod Norris and Kyle Borden was to protect Jordan," Spencer kept talking, kept moving closer. "I know what that feels like, Owen…" he said, watching the boy's eyes.

"I know how it feels to want to do anything, _anything_ to protect the woman you love from someone who has hurt her… I even know how it feels- to want to kill them- to save her from them…" Spencer told him, watching Owen closely. He saw the boy look confused for a moment, then look up to meet his eyes, shaking his head, as if he didn't believe him.

"Owen, I know this, because the woman I love was hurt, too… and someone asked me recently, if I had the chance, if _she'd_ been asking… could I have stopped myself from killing the person, to keep her safe… and my answer was 'No', Owen… I couldn't say that I wouldn't have done it… for her, to keep her safe! So please, trust me when I say I understand…" he expressed, stepping forward once more.

The younger man allowed him the step closer, lowering the rifle slightly.

"I also know the harder you tried the worse it got… and it seemed like everybody just stood there watching you suffer… not a single person tried to help…"

Spencer watched as Owen looked at him. "They didn't…" the boy stammered.

Grateful for that little bit of rapport, Spencer took a brief second to look over his shoulder. He saw Morgan standing beside Scarlett and adjusted his stance between himself and where Hotch and Rossi were standing.

"What is he doing?" Derek asked Scarlett.

"Blocking their shot…" she swore under her breath. "He's trusting me… us… not to fire…"

Reid continued talking to Owen. He met the young man's eyes as he looked back. He saw Owen looking at the others then back to him.

"The woman behind me…" Spencer said quietly. "That's my Scarlett…" he told him. "My Jordan…" he admitted to the boy. "I'm standing here, in front of you- unarmed, not just to save you Owen… but for her- I want to protect her, still… from being put in this very situation- she doesn't want to hurt you either," he told him. "I'd give anything to protect her from being hurt, to keep her safe… I'd take her a million miles away from here, if that's what it would take…"

"So, I know you want to escape and forget… believe me when I tell you, I know exactly how that feels…" he assured him. "But, you know what? You don't have to die…"

Owen shook his head. "No, no… I'm already dead!"

"No- no you're not dead… and if you die… you are going to leave Jordan, alone, just like your mother left you…" Spencer told him. The younger man's face contorted a bit as if in pain. Reid capitalized on that.

"I know you don't want that, do you?" he asked, watching as Owen shook his head.

"Okay, okay, then… you bring her to me… you bring her outside…" Owen said, raising the rifle again.

"I can't bring her outside," Reid told him truthfully. "But, if you would just put the gun down, I swear to God, I'll take you to her. I promise, nobody will hurt you… You can say good bye and give her the necklace… Alright?"

Owen stepped back and Spencer adjusted again, keeping him out of the sights of the weapons that were trained on him. Scarlett felt her hands shake when the automatic weapon was held at Reid's chest. She made a small sound of fear in her throat. Derek noticed and moved his hand over her weapon.

"Katy-bird," he called her softly. "Give me the gun…" he gently lowered her hands, seeing the strain on her face.

"Go inside, Scarlett…" he told her gently.

"No!" she snapped at him in a harsh whisper, not wanting to leave. She held on tighter, keeping the gun on Owen.

"Scarlett… Go. Inside." Morgan demanded, pulling Spencer's weapon from her hand. He saw her eyes shift from the scene in the street, to meet his eyes, then back to the street, before she finally released her grip on the handgun. She turned quickly on her heel and moved indoors. Derek sighed, looking back towards where Reid was still trying to talk to Owen.

"What do you say, Owen? Put the gun down. Let's go inside…" Spencer was saying.

Owen seemed to consider it. Reid watched as he slowly unstrapped the rifle, moving forward, closer to him. Spencer felt his adrenaline burn in his system, the very real fear that Owen might yet pull that trigger making him feel the need to run… but he held still, praying that Owen had listened to reason.

Spencer let out a breath of relief as Owen set the rifle down at his feet. He heard Morgan moving in, and stepped up to the younger man, so he wouldn't feel left alone.

"It's alright Owen, it's okay…" he told him. "It's over…"

"Keep your hands up where I can see them," Morgan yelled, coming up behind Owen, patting him down.

The local officers were pulling in, coming on scene. Some were already getting out, weapons drawn.

"It's fine, it's over…" Rossi was calling out to them, before anyone incited any further actions.

"Reid, you alright?" Derek was asking as he hooked Owen's hands into the cuffs.

Spencer looked over at Morgan. "Yeah," he said, feeling his breath coming in short gasps. The adrenaline was finally dropping. He reminded himself to breathe.

"Where is Scarlett?" he asked, looking around, feeling the shaking move through his body in a tremble.

"She went inside. She's with Jordan," Morgan told him, pushing Owen towards the doors.

Spencer nodded, taking Owen's arm. The young man lifted his chin.

"I'll take you to Jordan," Reid told him. Owen nodded, moving with him into the station house.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Scarlett felt the air leave her lungs in a huge rush when she saw the doors open as Spencer led Owen inside. Her hands shook at Jordan's shoulders.

Spencer met Scarlett's eyes, seeing them filled with fear and unshed tears. She held herself rigid, as if fighting yet to remain calm. Owen had stopped walking, watching Jordan's face as tears tracked down her cheeks. He gave the younger man a gentle nudge, moving them forward.

Scarlett felt Jordan begin to shake as she pulled forward to hug Owen. She didn't stop the younger woman. After all, she understood, since it was all she could do to stop herself from doing the same with Spencer.

Her throat constricted with tears and she swallowed against them when she saw Owen lean over Jordan, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, breathing in Jordan's scent. It was a move that Spencer used with her quite often, and seeing it made Scarlett's heart ache.

She fought the emotions down, locking them away, knowing she couldn't, wouldn't break down on the job. She wouldn't allow herself. Her eyes hardened as she fought for control…

Owen straightened up, looking over at Reid. He nodded and Scarlett pulled Jordan back. Spencer reached out his hand, holding out the necklace to the young girl.

Jordan took the necklace, wrapping it tightly into her grip as she began to sob. Scarlett moved her away as Spencer led Owen down the hallway to the interrogation room.

Spencer handed Owen over to Sheriff Wallen, staying to give his statement and until Owen was processed. When it was over, he left the room, scrubbing at his face tiredly. All he wanted was to get Scarlett and go back home.

Instead of Scarlett, he found JJ sitting in the small interior room with Jordan. When she saw the look on her friend's face, she came to the door.

"She just went outside, Spence," she told him quietly. "Said she needed some air…" JJ rubbed his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "I'm fine, just… tired really… Did you see which way she left?" he asked.

JJ smiled at his one track mind. "Out the back, Reid… she went out those doors," she pointed behind him. She shook her head and rolled her eyes when he turned towards the exit without even looking her way again.

The back exit opened into an access alley that ran behind the buildings. Reid stepped outside, looking around for Scarlett. When he didn't immediately find her there, he felt his heart kick against his chest.

Scarlett saw Spencer from her perch above him on the fire escape. She watched him for a few moments, waiting until he began to move down the street, to call out to him.

"Reid…" she called him back, lighting up a cigarette. He jumped slightly, his nerves still a bit shaky.

"Jesus, Scarlett…" he said as he turned at the sound of her voice. "You scared me…" he hadn't realized how concerned he'd been about what he'd thought he'd seen in her eyes until he saw her still there.

Spencer saw her eyes widen a bit in disbelief.

"I scared you…" she looked at him askance, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "Really…" she shook her head, moving to look down at him, leaning over the railing.

"I didn't know where you went…" he said softly, hearing the tone in her voice. "I just… I was worried… I didn't…" he stopped talking, seeing the cold look she was giving him.

"Scarlett…"

She took another drag off the cigarette, watching the smoke curl into the air.

"Reid…" she mimicked him, watching him circle back below her. He huffed slightly, looking up at her.

"Can you come down here, so I can talk to you?" he asked. "Without getting a kink in my neck?"

"I'm not really ready to talk right now…" she told him, still watching the smoke instead of looking at him.

Spencer moved over towards the fire escape. "Then I'll come up…" he told her.

Scarlett laughed, and he winced at the tone.

"Oh, no… I don't think you really want to do that right now, _Reid_ …"

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because, I'm a bit more than just a little angry at this moment. I really don't want to hurt you, but I'm barely containing the urge to punch you right now…"she said flatly, dragging in more smoke as she spoke.

Spencer opened his mouth, ready to argue with her and closed it just as quickly. He watched her, standing overhead, her profile outlined by the cloudless blue sky. She hadn't met his eyes even once since he came out here. He tried to angle a look at her, but she continued staring ahead.

"Scarlett…" he called out to her once more. When she kept her face averted, his heart trembled. Something was off.

"Katy… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I scared you, crazy girl…" he said quietly. That gained him an icy stare as she finally looked down at him.

"I'm pissed off, Reid… not scared!" she snapped at him, keeping her eyes locked to his for only a second before looking away again. "Don't make me come down there and hit you to prove it," she growled.

In that moment, he heard the change in her voice, seeing clearly how she was looking through him even as she spoke to him. He didn't want to push her…

"I'll leave you alone, then… if that's what you really want…" he lied easily.

"That's what I want…" she responded, too quickly. "Just leave me alone…"

Spencer nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. He headed back towards the door to go back inside.

"Scarlett…" he tried again.

"No… just leave me be… please…" she said again, turning to head up the escape to the roof.

Reid went inside, turning from the main offices and heading up the stairs, two and three at a time. Once he reached the roof, he pushed the heavy door open, narrowing his eyes against the bright sunlight. He shaded them with his hand, scanning the rooftop until he saw her sitting near the air duct.

Scarlett took another drag off her cigarette, shaking her head in disbelief when she saw him approach.

"Jesus, Reid- you're just asking for trouble…" she told him.

"I've only ever seen you smoke a handful of times, Scarlett…" he started talking as he continued walking towards her.

"Oh, you are _not_ going to lecture me…" she told him, pulling herself up to stand before him, irritation snapping out around her.

"…and in all of those times, you weren't pissed, Katy… you were scared…" he told her. He stopped just in front of her, watching her.

"So I am sorry," he told her, keeping his eyes locked to hers. "I am so sorry I scared you, sweetheart…"

Scarlett swung away from him, turning her back to him as he moved closer. She felt her throat tightening again and didn't trust herself to speak.

"Go away…" she ground out roughly. _Keep it locked away, it won't hurt if it's locked away_ … her mind whispered to her.

"No…" he told her, coming to stand right behind her.

"I said leave me alone…" she snapped, yanking her arm forward when he tried to touch her.

"No…" he repeated, setting his hand on her shoulder, turning her towards him.

Scarlett swung around, anger heating her cheeks. She pushed him backwards, trying to shove him away. Spencer grabbed her close, holding her tight even as she curled up her fists and hit him in the chest. He continued holding her as she railed against him, not giving in against her fight.

"Why won't you just leave me be?" she finally cried out, her voice cracking under the fear and pain she was trying to control.

"I just need to… Just leave me alone! _Please_!"

"No," he whispered, lowered his head to press his lips against hers. He felt her shake in his arms, and held her tighter. When Scarlett felt him press his lips to the crown of her head, breathing deeply, she lost what little regulation she'd been holding.

"How could you do that to me?" she sobbed, pressing her face against his chest as the tears that had threatened finally broke through. "Why? You tell me to stay out of the way and then you put yourself right in front of me!"

"Scarlett… I'm sorry! But, I had to try… I had to do something to stop what was coming," he told her, gathering her against his chest as she sobbed.

"You didn't even stop to think what it would do to me!? To leave me in that position! Did you?" she yelled at him, delivering another half-hearted punch against his chest. "No, you didn't…" she cried. "How could you do that to me?" she repeated.

"I'm sorry…" he said. "You're right, I didn't… I didn't think- I just," he grabbed her hands as she swung at him again, tucking them in between them.

"Scarlett, can you stop hitting me long enough to listen?" he asked.

"No," she snapped, getting in one last swat before letting him subdue her. "I warned you…" she sniffled.

Spencer sighed, carefully easing his hands away from hers up to frame her face. He lifted her jaw so he could see her eyes.

"Katy, please understand. I had to try. I couldn't let it happen again…" he told her. Watching her eyes fill once again with tears, he fought against the lump forming in his own throat.

"I couldn't watch another kid die in front of me," he said softly. "I couldn't take the chance you'd be part of the collateral damage if he came in here shooting…"

"But I could? Or worse- I could stand back and watch you get gunned down while I just stood there? I could've taken the shot- I could have brought him down easily, but you asked me to trust you…" she pushed at his chest, trying to get away from him again.

"Katy… It's okay, I'm fine… It all turned out alright!" he reminded her, not letting her pull away. He caught a quick glance into her eyes as she shoved him again.

The vacant look there stopped his heart in his chest.

"Scarlett, please… look at me!" he ordered, giving her shoulders a hard shake when she started fighting him again.

"Look at me, right now…" he demanded when she avoided his eyes.

Scarlett stopped struggling long enough to meet his gaze. He felt panic speed up his heart rate when she continued to look right through him.

"Scarlett… don't do this. Don't… I'm fine, I'm right here…" he told her again, trying to pull her out of her mind.

Scarlett heard him, somewhere in her heart she knew he was calling her, but her mind kept looping back to the scene on the street below, to the sound of the AR firing… to feeling the heavy weight of death on top of her… he put her in that position… he made her see him die in front of her…

"Why did you do it? Why did you put yourself in front of me?" she demanded.

"Scarlett…" Spencer held her face, watching her eyes track quickly as if seeing something play out in front of her. "Shit…" he muttered, shaking her again.

"God dammit Scarlett, look at me… Me!" he yelled at her now, concern motivating him.

"Stay with me… _fight_ with me if you have to! But please! Just fucking see _me_ standing here! Not John Carter!" he snapped, his voice becoming rough.

"How dare you!?" she asked him. He stopped a moment, unsure if she was now talking to him…

Spencer cursed again as her eyes looked at him, but he was afraid she was no longer seeing him as himself. It was as if she was arguing with a ghost…

"Katy," he begged her. "Please… come back to me."

"No… you had no right! How dare you shove me aside? I could have taken that shot! But no… No! You had to 'protect' me?"

Scarlett wrenched herself out of his arms.

"You always think you know what is best for me! Was this best? Leaving me? Alone?"

Spencer held his breath, the pain in his heart intense.

"Scarlett," he spoke her name on a hoarse whisper. "Do you feel that way? Are you still alone? Or do you see me standing here?" he asked. He saw confusion sweep over her features before settling on his face.

"Who do you see, standing here Scarlett? Will you see me? I know I didn't think… I know I hurt you… I don't know if I'll ever make that up to you- but Katy, please… I love you… and I need you to see _me_ standing here…"

He watched her face contort in pain as tears filled her eyes once again. She backed up against the wall, leaning back into it, away from him. Spencer stepped closer, edging up to her, kneeling before her to look up into her face.

"Katy Scarlett _Reid_ ," he whispered her name softly, stressing the last name on her. "Please… see me," he begged, taking her hands and pressing his lips to them.

Scarlett's breathing changed, hitching gasps that started in her chest. She watched the top of Spencer's head as he leaned over before her. She felt his lips on her knuckles and turned her hands to touch his face.

He closed his eyes as her trembling fingers touched his cheeks. Lifting them slowly to meet hers, he prayed to see her looking at him, instead of through him.

"Spence…" she spoke his name softly, tracing his cheekbones with her thumbs. She felt his breath on her hands as he sighed. She could see the questions in his eyes when he looked up at her.

Scarlett reached up and scrubbed at her face. "What… what happened?" she asked him, confusion now in replacing the vacant look her eyes.

Reid stood up quickly, wrapping her into his arms. Scarlett could feel him shaking. She held him, trying to clear her thoughts.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Spencer… what happened?" she asked again, becoming nervous. He heard her voice tremble and pulled away enough to see her face. When he saw her eyes remain clear, he blew out a tense breath.

"It's okay…" he told her, pulling her against his chest. "It's okay," he repeated, more to reassure himself than for her. He closed his eyes, pressing his face into her neck, giving himself a moment to just hold her.

"You just took a side trip into your head…" he warned her. "What is the last thing you remember, Scarlett?" he asked her, pulling back just a bit.

Scarlett's brow furrowed. "I was mad… I was thinking I'd head up to the roof to get away…" she told him, biting her bottom lip.

"I didn't want you to come up here," she told him, scowling slightly. "I just… I didn't want to break down, and Derek told me to go inside… he threw me off scene," her brows knit together tightly. "I was angry. I remember you bringing in Owen and seeing you safe. I went outside, so the team wouldn't see how upset I was… But…"

Spencer waited as she concentrated, trying to recall the details. He brushed his hand along her cheek as he saw her becoming upset.

"It's okay, Scarlett. You are alright. I didn't leave…"

"Jesus, Spencer… I can't remember! It just goes black, I can't remember everything-until just now…" she looked at him nervously. "I can't be blacking out during a case… I can't just… What if I…" her voice started cracking, fear present in her eyes.

"It's okay Scarlett…" he repeated, cradling her face in his hands. "I was right here- I came right out after you…" he told her matter of factly.

Scarlett watched him, watching her. "How do you know?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"JJ told me you went outside. You were just lighting a cigarette, you weren't alone long. I found you… I kept talking to you, trying to get you to come back to me… I didn't know what else to do…" he said and Scarlett saw the hurt in his eyes.

"You kept me safe," she whispered, keeping her eyes locked on his.

"It was all I could do," he stated helplessly.

Scarlett stood up on her toes, gently brushing her lips against his for a quick second before pulling back and tracing a finger down the side of his face. She felt a muscle tic there, as he clenched his jaw.

"You kept me safe…" she told him, stepping closer. Spencer held his breath as she kissed him again, her lips barely making contact with his. He felt her hesitation, as if she wasn't quite able to trust herself at the moment.

"Katy," he breathed out her name, his voice cracking slightly. "Please… I'm so sorry I hurt you," he said quietly, slowly lowering his lips to meet hers, afraid she was going to back away once again. He stopped, just a breath away from her mouth.

"Please don't push me away…"

Scarlett's eyes widened, hearing the intensity in his voice. "I just didn't want to break down here… Spencer… I can't…" her voice cracked on a sob.

"I was so afraid for you," she cried. "I can't lose you…"

Spencer closed the distance between them, cutting off the rest of her words. She held back for only another heartbeat before pouring all of her emotions into the kiss.

He tasted her lips gently, wanting to savor her unique flavor. Scarlett accepted his mouth, feeling the caress of his hand at her neck as he stroked her skin. A mewling noise worked its way up her throat; Spencer felt his knees go weak with the sound.

He gathered her closer, catching her breath as he switched his angle, taking the kiss deeper. Lifting her slightly, he moved to sit before his legs gave out, taking her onto his lap.

Scarlett felt him drag her down, unable, unwilling to break the connection between them. She followed him to the ground, locking her legs around his hips as he sat. When she felt the tears start again, she threw herself into the kiss, reassuring herself that he was beside her with the contact.

He felt the desperation in her kiss, and pulled back a bit.

"Scarlett… look at me," he asked, nudging her. When she opened her eyes to look into his, his breath hitched.

Her green eyes shone in tears and fear was still a living thing reflected there, but they were looking at him.

"Scarlett, I can't promise you that I'll never put myself there again, in between you and danger. I'll always do that- I'll always want to protect you…"

"And this job, it doesn't give you the option of the safe position…" he pressed his forehead against hers, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck. "You're going to have to find a way to deal with that, Katy. Just like I'll have to when the places are changed and you are the one protecting me. We don't have the easy out sometimes," he reminded her.

Scarlett nodded slightly, pulling back a bit to look in his eyes. "I'm still going to get angry when you do," she pouted. "I'm still mad now," she told him.

"Be mad, Scarlett," he allowed. "But don't hold it in to where you pull away again. Not like that," he said.

She closed her eyes, still trying to put in missing pieces. "I started thinking of John," she admitted. "A part of me is still angry with him, too…"

"I know… I understand, sweetheart. Just don't let it pull you away from me, please? I need you. I'm here, now, and I need you…" Spencer stated softly.

Scarlett felt him tremble in her arms. "I won't… I'll work on it, I promise… Spencer, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"Shh," he cut off her apology with his kiss. He didn't want apologies. "I just want my wife to stay with me," he said aloud.

"I am, I will," she promised. Scarlett nudged her nose to his.

Both of their phones vibrated at the same time.

"The team is looking for us," Spencer sighed.

Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment, holding him close. When she stood and he up beside her, reaching for her hand, she swatted at it.

"Back to mad," she warned him, looking into his eyes with her own clear green gaze.

"I won't stop trying to make up to you," he told her, relieved to see her dealing with it.

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest, biting on her lip. She stared out into the setting sun, trying to work through her emotions.

"Let's get the hell home, where I can deal with you in private," she narrowed her eyes his way.

Spencer nodded, reaching for her hand again. This time she didn't pull it away.

Later, on the plane heading home; Spencer sat staring out the dark window, thinking over the event of the day. He could see now where he'd made the wrong moves, how he'd hurt Scarlett and worked against the best for the team, thinking only of himself in those moments. Although the outcome had worked for the best, his choices could have hurt them all if things had gone another way- and for that he was truly sorry…

He looked down at the top of Scarlett's head where it rested against his shoulder. She'd plugged in her headphones, falling asleep almost immediately. He could hear her music blasting, reaching his own ears and wondered how she could possibly sleep through it at that volume. She moved against him, turning her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his. Sighing, he dropped a kiss to her hair.

Reid straightened up when he saw Hotch take the seat opposite him. The supervisor looked at him directly and then spared a quick glance to Scarlett.

"Reid… I need to speak with you," he said with a stern tone.

"I know," Spencer agreed, seeing Hotch look at Scarlett again. "I… um, she's still pissed at me. This is the closest she's let me get to her in the past two hours," he gave Hotch a nervous smile that barely twitched his lips.

"I don't want to wake her up," he told him honestly. "Anything you need to say, you can say in front of her… I don't… I don't want her to move," Spencer raised his eyes to Hotch, hoping he'd understand.

Aaron nodded, letting a very brief smile meet his eyes.

"I think she will forgive you… in time," he offered to his friend his unspoken advice.

Give her the time, Reid heard, loud and clear. He glanced away from Hotch, back to Scarlett.

"I screwed up… Big time…" Spencer said quietly.

"You did," Hotch agreed, scowling a bit. His eyes met Spencer's with a stern look.

"You knowingly jeopardized your life and the lives of others."

Reid lowered his eyes, expecting the reprimand. He knew he deserved it.

"I should fire you…"

Spencer's eyes widened, the thought of being removed from the team, from Scarlett, scaring him into meeting Hotch's stare with a plea on his lips… Hotch didn't give him chance to speak.

"You are the smartest kid in the room, but you aren't the only one in that room. You pull something like this again and you will be, am I clear?"

Reid's chest rose and fell in panic and relief at the same time. He tried to settle his heart from jumping in his chest before answering.

"Yes, sir. It won't happen again," he said, meeting Hotch's eyes. "Thank you…"

Aaron's scowl softened a bit, after reassuring himself Reid was taking the warning seriously. He changed his position from supervisor back to friend as he met Reid's eyes.

"What were you thinking?" he asked.

"I was thinking that it would have been the second time a kid died in front of me," Spencer responded.

"You're keeping score," Hotch warned him. "Just like Owen…"

"It was my turn to save one," Reid replied.

"It doesn't work like that…"

"It should," Spencer looked down at Scarlett, shaking his head slightly. He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead as she moved in her sleep.

Hotch noticed the gesture, seeing a bit more to what was going on in his friend's mind than what he was saying. What he'd done today reached a little deeper than just the incident in Chula Vista.

"I know it's painful when the person you identify with is the bad guy," he spoke gently.

Spencer blushed slightly, aware that he was showing his emotions too easily. He met Hotch's knowing gaze with a question in his eyes.

"What does that make me?" he asked.

Hotch sighed. "Good at the job," he offered.

Reid studied him, considering his words.

Aaron stood up, looking down at Spencer as he tucked Scarlett in closer to his chest.

"Reid… I know it's none of my business, but when we get back, perhaps you should catch the rest of that movie," he suggested, letting Reid know he'd figured out how the younger man had been dealing with his struggles lately. "Scarlett too…"

Spencer nodded. He laid his cheek onto his wife's hair, considering how close she'd been to blacking out on the scene. He needed to talk to her about considering rejoining her therapist, or finding another. He couldn't help her on his own- he was too close. But he wouldn't let her go through it alone. He'd go with her, if that's what she wanted. But she needed to find a way to deal with her mind.

He sighed, kissing Scarlett's forehead.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Spencer had just finished packing up the saddlebags of the bike when Scarlett entered the apartment.

"How'd your session go?" he asked her, shifting the bags from the counter top to the floor, hiding them from her view.

"Good," she told him, moving behind him to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. "I, umm… I kinda like this therapist," she told him honestly, mentioning the new doctor that she'd been seeing these past couple of weeks.

"She's not pushy, and I don't get the feeling she's just spewing out rhetoric when she offers suggestions," she shrugged. "I'm going to keep seeing her…" she told him.

Spencer felt some relief at her words. In the past two months she'd gone through three therapists. He knew it wasn't that she hadn't been trying- but she hadn't felt comfortable with any of them. It was hard for her to trust anyone outside of her circle.

Scarlett noticed the bags on the floor and eyed them skeptically.

"You took the test," she surmised. He'd mentioned before she'd left this morning that he was going to try for the motorcycle endorsement on his license.

"Yep," he grinned foolishly, letting her change the subject and rocking back on his heels.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at his childish exuberance. "You passed," she returned his grin. "Now I guess you'll expect me to ride bitch," she teased.

"Yep," he took her hand, picked up the saddlebags, throwing them over his shoulder, and tugged her back towards the door.

"Alright, alright," she laughed, as he dragged her along behind him to the bike. "Geesh, Spencer…"

Reid resettled the bags under the seat of the bike, strapping them in. Once that was taken care of, he handed her the helmet.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she put on the helmet and hopped up behind him.

"On a picnic," he said with a grin, sliding on his helmet. She rolled her eyes at his vagueness.

"Keep the shiny side up, noob," she warned him through the headset, not wanting him to get too full of himself to pay attention. Regardless of the endorsement, he was still green.

"I will," he promised, starting the engine and rolling out into the street.

Scarlett settled back to enjoy the ride, the scents and sounds wrapping around her as Spencer picked the roads that led them into some stretches of farmland.

After a while, the area began to look a little familiar. He'd taken a different route, avoiding the highway, but he had brought them back to the park in Maryland, where they'd gone to the farmer's market last summer, when he'd first learned to ride.

"Cheater," she teased him when he'd stopped the bike and she'd removed her helmet. "You avoided the highway…"

"Yeah, well… I'm not quite up for that yet," he grinned good naturedly at her comment. "Besides, the back way was a nicer ride."

Scarlett helped him unpack the saddle bags, spreading a blanket out over the ground. "I'll give you that… seeing cows and horses was a much nicer view than trucks and concrete walls," she told him.

Spencer took her hand and tugged her to the ground beside him. He pulled a bottle of champagne out from a protective sleeve and she met his eyes with a look of surprise.

"That's quite an expensive bottle to celebrate getting your motorcycle license," she mentioned, watching as he now carefully unwrapped two crystal flutes.

"Hmm. Maybe I'm celebrating more than just that…" he suggested with a slight grin. He poured her some of the wine, handing her the glass.

"Oh, really?" she searched her mind for a reason why today's date could be significant… and couldn't bring up anything in their common past.

"Spencer…" her eyes narrowed slightly, pretending to be annoyed. "Are you going to clue me in?"

His teasing grin covered his face. "I got the phone call…" he told her, waiting for the importance of his words to set in.

"We've got a date?" she asked quietly, afraid to hope…

"Thursday," he nodded, smiling brightly. "We'll fly out to Chicago tomorrow, and then we have the court date for Thursday…" he held his flute to hers, making them ring.

"Congratulations, Scarlett Reid… it's a girl," he teased, watching the love move into her eyes. "As of Thursday, everything will be official. We have a daughter…" he said, his own voice tightening with emotion.

"Oh my God," Scarlett took a sip of the champagne. "Oh. My. God…"

The smile that moved across her face made Spencer's heart quicken.

"We're parents," she spoke in awe, looking into his eyes as happy tears gathered quickly in her own.

"Spence… we're parents," she repeated, launching herself into his arms with a laugh.

"Oh my God," she repeated again, hugging him close. "This is so huge… this is so wonderful… I can't… I've got to call Norie… We need to get a flight- I have to tell Mama and Derek… Oh, Penny too… My _God_!"

Spencer chuckled lightly as she squeezed his neck and started babbling. He took a page from her book, and stopped her rambling with a kiss…

"I already made the arrangements with the airline, we leave at three in the afternoon…" he told her. "We'll tell Norie together tomorrow, in person… I just wanted you for myself right now…" he saw her smile soften when he said that.

Scarlett loosened her grip on his neck, laying her head against his shoulder as he told her the rest. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his voice.

"I was going to make reservations for dinner on Thursday, to take everyone out to celebrate, but when I talked to your Mom- I had to, so she could get the rest of your family together- she insisted that we have a big family dinner at home," he smiled slightly at the conversation he'd had with Frannie.

He had started insisting that he didn't want her to go through the trouble, and Fran had the audacity to send him a picture of herself- with her 'no argument' face. He flipped open the photo still on his phone, showing it to Scarlett.

She laughed out loud at the sight.

"Oh, man, I warned you about messing with Mama," she giggled, touching the picture lightly. "She's so happy too…" Scarlett mused, pressing a kiss against Spencer's neck.

"Yeah- and she already called Morgan and Penelope, to make sure they could come back too…"

"This is why you insisted we take off the rest of the week… not just because of Norie's play on Friday… How long have you known?" she asked, amazed he kept a secret like this from her.

"I got the call last Friday," he shrugged, tensing a bit when she punched his shoulder.

"Four days?!" she squeaked, punching him lightly again. "You've known for _four_ _days_ and didn't mention it to me?" she said indignantly.

"I wanted to surprise you," he grinned at the shock on her face. "I wanted to make it special…"

"Oh… Spence…"

His name came off her lips in a breathless rush as she thought of everything he'd gone through to make this a perfect memory for her…

Reid saw her eyes darken slightly as he watched her.

"Uh-oh," he said softly as he saw the lust bank and simmer in her gaze. "I guess I didn't think this part through…"

Scarlett moved to straddle him, pushing him backwards onto the ground, pinning his hands over his head and giving him a kiss.

"No, I guess you didn't," she told him, letting her needs show clearly on her face.

"Idiot…" she called him, jokingly. Spencer groaned as she rubbed her hip against him.

"Yes, yes I am," he agreed with a strained laugh. She giggled at his quiet squeak when she turned her head to bite lightly at his chest.

Moving over him, she trailed kisses over his collarbone, finishing with another nip to his bicep when he flexed slightly to push up against her hands.

"Scarlett… Please…" she heard him beg, his eyes pleading with hers. "Mercy…"

"Ugh," Scarlett reigned herself in, pulling back off of him. "I guess I'll have to wait to thank you later," she warned him with an evil grin.

He whimpered slightly at the promise and sighed hugely. Scarlett giggled and nudged him with her shoulder.

"Let's eat," she told him with a huge smile. "You're going to need your strength," she teased.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Spencer saw Norie's red hair flying behind her like a banner as she ran through the airport. He grabbed her up mid-leap, swinging her around.

"Spencer!" she shrieked in joy, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I'm so glad you guys were able to come!"

"We wouldn't have missed your acting debut, little one," he said. "And you still give the best hugs in the world," he held her tight, patting her back.

"You too!" she bounced back down to the floor, running up to Scarlett in much the same way. Spencer saw Scarlett's muscles flex as she caught the girl, and he noticed that Norie had grown a bit taller in the past few months since he'd seen her. She already reached the height of Scarlett's shoulder… And the thought he missed that gave him a little pang of sorrow.

Frannie had walked up behind Spencer and saw what he'd noticed.

"She's grown another inch just in the last two weeks, I swear," she said, surmising what had put the sadness in Reid's eyes. "They grow like weeds at this age," she told him, to help assuage his guilt. He may not realize it yet, but growing pangs hit parents harder than the kids.

"Hey you," she grinned up at her son-in-law. "You aren't going to swing me around too?" she joked.

Spencer laughed, his blues chased away by the teasing light in Fran's eyes.

"You want to try?" he asked, spreading his arms.

"No, I'll just take the hug," she told him with a chuckle, hugging him hard. She looked back over at where Scarlett and Norie were already deep in discussion, seeing Norie's hands flying around in some huge expression of youthful glory. Fran shook her head.

"They talk so much on the phone and video chat, I'm surprised they have anything left to talk about…" she smiled.

Spencer met her eyes and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "They fell asleep together one night Facetiming… I didn't have the heart to disconnect the feed, so I let it go," he grinned.

Frannie's laughter caught Scarlett's attention even as Norie spotted Morgan and Penelope coming from baggage claims…

"Uncle Derek, Aunt Penelope!" the girl squealed as she took off again in a run…

Scarlett laughed and headed over into her mother's embrace.

"Hi, Mama," she breathed in deeply as she hugged her tight. "Missed you too," she told her with a grin. They turned in unison at the sound of Norie's peal of giggles when Morgan swept her up in one arm and turned her upside down.

"Derek Morgan, don't you dare drop that child!" Penelope warned him, dragging her suitcase behind her.

Norie giggled as Morgan rolled his eyes in an 'as-if' look but pulled her upright. She looked down over her family from the perch of his shoulder.

"I'm so glad you all were able to come!" she told them, patting her uncle on the head. Derek laughed, swinging her back down to her feet.

"Wild horses couldn't keep us away, little one," Penny told her as Norie skipped over to collect her last hug. "Wild horses," she repeated, pressing a kiss to the little girl's hair.

"Mama said I can stay home from school tomorrow and everything, because you guys were able to get the extra days off," Norie babbled on.

"Is that so?" Scarlett met her mom's eyes with a wink. Noreen didn't know yet that they had gotten their date in family court.

"I've got practice tonight then dress rehearsal tomorrow evening- I can't wait… I've been helping some of the others with their lines too- Ms. Marlowe is thrilled I could memorize all the parts, so when someone gets stuck she just looks at me and I whisper them their lines… and nobody is even mad or calling me nerd or anything! They like it that I can help…" Norie continued.

Scarlett felt a knot of worry loosen in his chest at her words. She had friends. She was accepted. She smiled and wrapped her arm around Norie's shoulder.

"That's terrific, baby girl. I'm so happy you are making friends," she told her.

"Oh yes- I told you just last weekend me and my friend Sara went to the mall. We got our nails done…" she flashed her hand out to Spencer to show off the purple manicure.

Frannie watched Norie hop on one foot, showing the paint on her toes also. She laughed as she popped the back door of her SUV so everyone could store their luggage.

The drive back to the Morgan family home took hardly no time, and Frannie headed into the kitchen to start dinner as everyone stored their bags into her guest rooms. She sighed in contentment as the home filled with the sounds of her family.

"Mama…" Scarlett caught the look on her mother's face when she'd entered the kitchen and went into her arms. "I'm so happy…"

Fran wrapped her daughter against her heart, kissing her forehead lightly. "That's all I ever wanted baby, is for all my chicks to be happy. I've gotten everything I've ever wished for…"

Scarlett gave herself the moment of sheer bliss, before pulling back. "Okay… now, how can I help with dinner?" she asked, swiping quickly at her eyes.

"Well, for tonight I thought we'd just fire up the grill and have a cook out. So you can cut up some of the onions and tomatoes," Frannie told her, handing her a knife from the block.

"On it," Scarlett pulled out the cutting board, getting to work. As the others came in, they were each assigned a chore until everything was covered.

Scarlett poured herself a glass of wine and joined her mother and Penny out on the patio, where they were watching Morgan and Reid at the grill.

"Derek, mind the steaks," Frannie called out as she watched her son telling Spencer a story while flames shot up under the meat. He gave her a lopsided grin and turned the heat down.

"They'd cook faster, my way," he told his mother.

"They'll be burnt on the outside and raw inside," she quipped.

"I want mine, rare, D but not charred black," Scarlett reminded him.

"I didn't forget, Katy," he took a raw steak, setting it on a plate. "Yours is already done," he teased.

Spencer laughed. "That's pretty close," he wrinkled his nose, knowing himself how rare Scarlett liked her steak.

"Yeah, still moo-ing," Derek chuckled, taking Scarlett's steak and setting it to the top rack of the grill. "Just a little warm…"

"Ugh," Norie wrinkled her nose just as Spencer had. "I don't know how anyone can eat something still bloody," she exclaimed.

"I think in a past life I must've been a bad cook, so I just got used to eating things raw," Scarlett teased, overhearing Noreen's comment. She slid over on the bench a little so her sister could sit beside her.

"I think I'm going to try eating vegetarian, like Aunt Penny," Norie groused, looking at the meat Derek brought over on the platter.

"Your loss, baby girl," Morgan commented as he set to building himself a hamburger.

Noreen eyed up the thick burgers. Her favorite…

"Hmm. Well," she looked over at Garcia's plate of potato and pasta salad, and veggie kabob. "Maybe another time," she decided, starting to make her own burger.

Scarlett chuckled. "That's my girl," she laughed as Noreen piled lettuce and tomatoes on top of the meat.

Spencer caught her eye and nodded towards Norie. Scarlett chewed a little, considering how to tell the girl about their news.

"So, Norie," she started, giving her a little nudge with her shoulder. "Do you think that you could spare some time tomorrow to go over to the courthouse with me and Spence?" she asked casually.

Noreen looked over at her sister. "The courthouse? Why would…" she stopped mid-sentence, as the implication of Scarlett's words hit her.

"We're going to the courthouse, tomorrow? They have the papers ready?!" she asked, her eyes huge with expectation.

"Yep… just waiting for us to sign," Scarlett told her, a huge smile breaking across her face.

Norie let out a whoop and grabbed Scarlett around the neck. She released her only long enough to move over to grab Spencer too.

"Are you guys serious? I thought it was going to take so much longer… Oh my God!" she squeaked, tugging the both of them closer together so she could hug them both at once.

"Oh my GOD!" she giggled in happiness. "I'm getting adopted? It's going to be official?"

Spencer hugged her back as she bounced in between them.

"Yes," he told her. "By this time tomorrow, you'll be Noreen Reid," he said, meeting Scarlett's eyes. He saw the tears of joy on her lashes, and reached over to wipe them away.

"You'll be ours," he said to them both.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Later that night, as everyone was settling in, Scarlett stopped by Noreen's room to say good night. Her own bedroom she remembered from her youth had been changed to suit her daughter. The thought brought a soft smile to her lips as she looked over the pictures and posters on the wall.

Norie sat in the middle of her bed, surrounded by stuffed animals, petting her cats. Walter had gotten so big he barely fit on the little girl's lap anymore, but he didn't let that stop him from sitting there.

Scarlett picked up Cleo, sitting beside Norie and gave the momma cat some attention. She waited for the child to speak; wondering what was going on in Noreen's mind. The girl had become uncharacteristically quiet in the past hour. So she gave her some time to think, as the two sat together, petting the cats.

Norie squirmed a bit, and then laid her head against Scarlett's shoulder. Scarlett kissed her hair.

"I love you Sissy," she said quietly, not looking at Scarlett, instead studying the cat on her lap.

"I love you too, Norie," Scarlett answered, still waiting as she saw the girl's brow furrow in worry.

"I like having a sister… I never had a sister… I like calling you Sissy…" she continued.

"Okay?" Scarlett looked confused as to where this conversation was going. "I do too, baby girl. I was lucky I had sisters because of Aunt Desiree and Aunt Sarah, but nobody ever called me Sissy. I like it very much…" she told her, trying to catch Norie's eyes. The girl kept her gaze averted, still watching the cat.

"I know I call Frannie 'Mama"," Norie huffed out a tense breath. "I like calling her Mama because you call her Mama and you are my sister… I never called anyone Mama, my mother was Mommy…"

Scarlett didn't say anything, giving the girl the time to get her thoughts out.

"So, I had my Mommy- now I have Sissy and Mama…"

"Right," Scarlett said gently. "Honey, I'm not understanding why this has you all upset," she apologized.

"After you adopt me, can I still call you Sissy? Since I had a Mommy and now have a Mama?" Norie asked, her face pinched in worry.

"Oh… of course, baby girl…" Scarlett moved to wrap her arm around her small shoulders. "I love being your Sissy. I'm not trying to replace your mother, little one. I don't expect you to call me Mom…"

The girl's shoulder shifted once in a small shrug. "But… I'd like to call you Mom, sometimes, though. If that's okay, too?"

Scarlett's heart did a little tumble at her words. She smiled, giving Norie a quick squeeze.

"Of course that's okay. Baby, I'm happy… having you as a part of my life is so… _special_ … I can't even begin to explain it. Whatever you feel comfortable calling me… Scarlett, Sissy, Mom- any of those- I'm happy. It's all fine," she told her, hugging her tighter as she felt the little girl wrap her arms around her waist.

Looking down into Norie's face, she could still see there was more.

"I never ever had a Daddy," she blurted out, her tone taking on a sniffle.

"Our father…" she choked back a bit on a sob… "I didn't really have long to know him… and I only called him Father," she bit her lips together tightly. "He- we weren't close, not like that…"

Scarlett felt her heart ache for the girl. "I know sweetie…" she said gently.

"Do you think Spence would mind if I called him Daddy?" Noreen finally looked up at Scarlett and tears filled her eyes. "I know, it's probably weird because I call you Sissy mostly… but… but… I don't want to call him Uncle Spencer… and I know he's my brother in law… I really want a _Daddy_ ," the little girl cried, her voice catching on the word.

"Oh, my… my sweet, sweet baby," Scarlett crooned, holding the girl close. "That's not weird… not at all! And I think that would make him so incredibly happy," she told her, squeezing her once more before looking down on the tears stained face.

"Do you really think so?" Norie sniffled again, reaching for some tissues on her nightstand. She handed some to Scarlett.

Scarlett dabbed at her own tears then reached over, wiping down the rest of Noreen's face. She cupped the girl's chin in her hand, making her look into her eyes.

"I know so," she promised. "Absolutely. I'll mention it to him, if you want me to, so you can stop worrying, or I'll call him in here right now so you can tell him yourself... But I _know_ hearing this will make him positively giddy," she gave Norie a grin, picturing Spencer's face when he heard it.

"It wouldn't bother you?" Norie asked, watching Scarlett's eyes. "For me to call him Daddy?"

Scarlett watched the concern in her sister's eyes and recalled the time over Christmas break when Noreen had off-handedly called Spencer 'daddy' and it had momentarily tripped her up.

Her sister had her same trap of a memory. She didn't forget anything…

"No, baby girl. That was something else… you had reminded me of me at your age… It wasn't…" she sighed, not able to explain. "It had nothing to do with you or Spence or you calling him daddy…"

"Nothing could make me happier than hearing that every day, knowing how happy it'll make him," she told her truthfully. "You and Spencer are the brightest stars in my skies, little one. When you two light up, so does my world," she responded.

"So promise me, you'll keep shining brightly…" she asked, kissing Norie's cheek.

"Okay," Noreen hugged Scarlett tighter, pressing her face into the crook of her neck. "You ask him for me…" the little girl blushed slightly.

"I will then," Scarlett told her, settling the matter. She held Norie close, kissing her forehead lightly.

"I love you, Mom…" she said softly, the whisper of the words reaching Scarlett's ears like a sigh.

"I love you too my baby girl," Scarlett held her, her heart bursting with joy.

She leaned back taking Norie with her, lying against the pillows. Brushing her hair back, she started humming a tune that she remembered her own mother singing to her.

Norie listened to Scarlett's voice as she sang her the old Irish lullaby. Snuggling in closer, she drifted off to sleep.

Scarlett heard Spencer's voice in the hallway as he spoke quietly to Morgan. When he stopped in the doorway, listening to her sing, she raised a finger to her lips, indicating Norie was already asleep. She finished off the song, kissed Norie's hair softly and slipped away.

"Is she okay?" Reid asked. He'd noticed that something had been on her mind, also.

Scarlett tugged his hand, leading him into the room where they were sleeping, so not to wake Noreen.

"She was worrying over what she could call us after tomorrow," Scarlett explained while they got ready for bed.

He listened closely as she repeated the girl's concerns to him.

"She called me 'mom'," Scarlett stated, her voice turning soft with emotion.

Spencer saw the love in her eyes and pulled her into his embrace. She brushed her cheek against his chest, pulling back to look up at his face.

"She wants to call you Daddy," Scarlett told him, watching his face.

Spencer closed eyes, breathing in deeply, unable to think.

"Wow…" he said finally, when words failed him. "Just… wow… Scarlett- I didn't know this would all feel so…"

"Huge?" she grinned up at him.

"Yeah," he smiled, reaching down to kiss her lips. "Huge, and wonderful… and right…" he sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I know," she agreed, moving into the bed. She patted the spot beside her, moving next to his heart when he lay down. She listened to its steady beat for a minute before saying anything.

"I can't even describe how incredibly happy I am, Spence," she pressed a kiss over his heart. "My heart is so full of love, for you, for our daughter…" she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears threaten again. She felt him shift under her, pulling her face closer to his.

"There are no words," she told him, looking up to meet his hazel eyes with her bright green ones.

Spencer saw all of that, just in her gaze. His heart tripped in his chest, knowing he felt the same. There weren't any words needed between them.

"Show me," he said softly, knowing that her heart was looking for some way to express itself. He brushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear when she leaned over him. Trailing his finger along her jaw, he saw her close her eyes and sigh deeply.

Scarlett pressed her body onto him, darting her tongue quickly across his lips, licking them. When his mouth parted with his own sigh, she caught his breath, deepening the kiss, slowly raising the need between them.

She ran her hands over his ribs, down to his hips, tickling his skin with feather touches. His body responded under her caress, heating him to a slow burn.

Stretching her body out over his, she rubbed her hip against him, making him groan.

"Shh," she breathed out, a smile playing on her lips. "Our daughter is in the next room," she giggled quietly, covering his mouth again.

"Scarlett," he whispered her name, arching against her. The bed squeaked with the movement and he froze, opening his eyes to hers.

She saw the lust burning there and gave him an evil grin.

"You are just going to have to stay very still," she whispered, running a trail of light kisses from his collarbone down over his chest. She heard the rumble of a moan in his throat when she ran her tongue across his nipple and pulled the string on his pajama bottoms, dragging them off his hips.

The springs squeaked again when he bucked against her hand when she touched his erection.

"You're moving again," she warned him.

"You are evil," he said in a hoarse voice. "I think you are enjoying this too much…"

His eyes rolled back and he pressed his lips together tightly to stifle the sounds in his throat when she continued stroking him.

"Maybe," she whispered softly next to his ear. "Maybe I like having you completely under my control," she teased, moving carefully to straddle his hips.

She took him inside her, so slowly, barely moving, he thought he'd lose control before she even started.

Scarlett kept perfectly still, using her muscles only, as she continued her silent torture.

Spencer grabbed the pillow beside him quickly, covering his face with it as a sound escaped him. Tugging the pillow away, she covered his mouth with hers, catching the sounds he made, as she continued to contract herself against him. The strength of his need made her own body ache.

"Oh my God," he arched against her again, his body bowing. "Scarlett… I can't…"

His voice strained in a harsh whisper. Opening his eyes, he watched her face as she leaned over him.

"Can't what, farm boy?" she smirked, pinning his hips back to the bed. She used the control she had over her own body to take his to the edge.

"Christ…" he swore, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out. She'd sleeved him inside her, and her body was pulling at his without even moving. Sweat broke out on his forehead…

Scarlett stretched, bridging herself backwards from his hips until her hair hung back across his calves. The position put pressure on different points inside her and she enjoyed the sensation as an orgasm began to burn through her. She could feel Spencer trying to hold back against his own release; she rocked against him, wanting him to come with her.

The strangled cry that left his throat at her movement had him slapping a hand over his own mouth.

Scarlett grinned and tossed the pillow back at him as she rode out the wave that ripped through her muscles. She knew Spencer felt it too; he grabbed at her hips, pulling her against him as best he could without moving.

When she collapsed forward across his chest, both of them breathing heavily, he pulled her tight in his arms. Scarlett heard his heart racing in his chest.

"I hate this bed…" he complained as it squeaked again when they moved.

"Hmm. I kinda like it," she teased, grabbing a quick kiss.

"Sadist…" he called her as he groaned softly against her mouth, kissing her again. He felt her light giggle against his lips.

"I love you, Scarlett Reid," he breathed out, catching the back of her head with his hand, keeping her close.

"As I love you, Spencer Reid," she said, laying her head against his shoulder.

He held her close, not moving again for the rest of the night.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The entire proceedings for the finalization of the adoption hadn't taken half as long as the posing for pictures afterwards…

Spencer loosened his tie as he exited the court building, starting to feel as jumpy as he had at their wedding reception.

"Reid," he turned as he heard Morgan call his name, praying that his brother in law didn't have a camera on him.

"I'm flash free," Derek teased, seeing the stricken look Spencer had on his face. "Ma's still going to be awhile… she'd got Scarlett cornered with Penny for now."

Spencer turned his eyes back towards the doors. "I probably should go rescue Scarlett," he offered, but Morgan stopped him.

"Nah, Scarlett's used to it. Mom's always like this. Besides, I wanted to talk to you, get your opinion on something… without my sister around," he said carefully.

"Oh, okay," Reid looked at his friend. "Opinion on what?" he asked, curious.

Derek moved beside him, indicating that they should walk further away from the building.

"This…" he said, pulling a box from his suit pocket, showing a ring to Spencer.

Reid looked over, meeting Morgan's smile. "You're going to propose to Garcia?" he grinned, gripping Derek in a one armed hug.

"Well, I decided not to wait for her to propose to me, like you did…" Derek joked with affection.

"That's great!" Spencer punched his brother's arm lightly. "Really, Derek… It's great. She'll love that ring too. It looks like it was made for her."

He looked at the pink square cut diamond again. It was perfect for their funky off beat Penelope.

"And you two are like the newest old married couple on the planet…" he teased. "When are you going to ask her?"

"I was thinking maybe sometime this weekend, ya know? Since we are away from work and everything," he met Reid's eyes. "But I didn't want to steal your thunder, with becoming a family and all," he said, bringing up what was on his mind.

"Are you kidding? Please," Spencer shook his head. "It's great. We can share the thunder… trust me," he widened his eyes as the women came out of the courthouse doors. "There's more than enough to go around," he offered, indicating the camera in Fran's hands. "I'm happy to share. _Please_ ," he begged on a dramatic whisper.

Morgan laughed. "Yeah, that was another benefit I was thinking… If Ma has a split focus, it won't all be on me either…"

"Something like divide and conquer?" Reid joked.

"Something like…" Derek agreed.

Scarlett's voice carried over towards them. "Come on, Spencer… Mama wanted to get some shots out in the courtyard," she called him over to them.

"How quick can you ask her?" Spencer asked, thinking he'd appreciate the distraction.

"I was considering Friday… maybe taking her out to dinner…"

"There's a nice coffee house across the street," Reid joked… sort of…

They followed the path back to the courtyard, where the garden club had planted and decorated the whole area for spring. Butterflies flittered from flower to flower and path ways wound their way through the area. Penelope was already wandering off through one of the sections, enchanted as one of the monarch's landed in the palm of her hand.

Derek watched her face as she breathed in the beauty of it, serenity surrounding her like a glow.

Spencer saw the love in Morgan's eyes as he watched Garcia and smiled. His friends' happiness only added to the joy of the day.

"Then again…" Derek amended, raising his brow to Reid. "I guess there's no time like the present, right?"

He stepped away from Spencer, heading over towards Garcia.

"Hey, Baby Girl… why don't we take a walk?" he asked as he came up behind Penelope, taking her by the hand.

"Sure," she said, smiling up at him. "Did you see that?" she asked. "Isn't it gorgeous? It's like a fairy tale…" she voice trailing behind her as they followed the pathway further into the gardens.

Spencer watched them walk away with a grin.

Scarlett moved next to him, studying the silly smirk on his face. She looked in the direction where Morgan and Penny had just gone, then back to him.

"What is going on, farm boy?" she asked curiously.

"Nothin'…" he said non-committedly, offering a slight shrug. "I'm just happy," he told her, pulling her closer for a kiss.

She raised her brow at him. "Reid…"

"Scarlett…" he answered in the same tone. She scowled at him.

"C'mon, your mom is looking for us," he grinned, pulling her by the arm. Scarlett threw another glance over to where Penny and Derek had gone…

He saw her eyes round and excitement fill them.

"No…" she said breathlessly, a smile breaking across her face. Spencer rolled his eyes.

"Really?!" she asked him, reading his face. "Oh… Oh!"

"Scarlett… hush, stop," he nudged her shoulder.

"But… but…" she started hopping on her toes. "Really?! Now? Oh yes… it's a perfect place… did he get a ring for her? What's it like… Oh…"

Spencer twisted her back as she started to follow.

"Scarlett…" his voice holding a warning tone. "Knock it off… You are as bad as Garcia," he teased. "I didn't even confirm anything-"

"You didn't have to Reid," she smiled. "Your face said it all…"

"No way, my face is perfectly innocent," he responded playfully.

Scarlett started to follow their friends again and he easily spun her around, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder...

He gave her butt an easy smack. Scarlett giggled.

"Oh, Spencer, please, I can read you like a book," she grinned, pulling herself upright, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Did you see the ring?" she asked, looking into his eyes as he carried her.

"Man! You did! What's it look like… Hey, why did he show you and not me?" she groused.

Spencer shook his head. "I'm not saying anything," he told her. "But something may have been mentioned to me and not you just because of how you are reacting…" he teased.

"Oh… poo," she pouted, using one of Penny's favorite expressions, and validating his argument.

Spencer laughed, holding on to her tight, carrying her farther away from Morgan and Penelope.

"And it may have been mentioned to me only because someone was worried about taking away from our own celebration today…"

Scarlett's eyes widened at that. "What? Seriously? W.T.F." she spelled out on a huff.

"Does he _not_ know us at all?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Please…" she snorted in indignation.

"Well, that's basically what I said, just in a nicer way," he joked, setting her back on her feet when they were far enough away.

Scarlett looked over at where her mother was sitting beside Noreen, looking over a water feature. The little girl flashed them a huge smile, waving them to hurry up.

"Look, Mom… Dad… fish!" she showed them the koi pond. "Mama said we should be able to get something like this in the yard at home…" she told them excitedly.

"I think that would fit great," Scarlett agreed, putting her arm around Norie's shoulder. "Beside the house?" she asked her mother.

"That's what I was thinking," Frannie nodded. "Now where did Derek and Penny disappear to?" she asked, looking around.

Scarlett grinned but only shrugged. "They headed down the other way. Pens fell in love with the butterfly bushes…"

"They are gorgeous…" Frannie looked around at the gardens once more.

Spencer nudged Scarlett again when Norie spotted the grin on her face. Scarlett bit her lips together.

"I want to get a few more pictures, then I promise I'll leave you alone," Fran grinned, looking at Spencer directly. He blushed slightly at the teasing.

Scarlett squeezed his hand as she saw Penelope heading towards them.

"I'll go tell the others," she offered excitedly, hurrying back the way they'd come. Spencer rolled his eyes, catching up to her in three long strides.

"Scarlett," he warned her, catching her hand. He tugged her back gently, indicating with his eyes that there wasn't a ring on Penny's finger. He saw her gaze follow his as a frown creased her brow.

Scarlett whipped her eyes up to meet Penelope's with a questioning stare. Her friend blushed prettily, her face flushed with pleasure, confusing Scarlett even more. Looking over at Derek's smug grin, she couldn't understand why Penny didn't have on the ring. A scowl crossed her face.

"You told her…" Penny's accusation turned to Reid. "And you think I have trouble keeping secrets?" she teased.

"I didn't say anything," Spencer swore, looking at Scarlett for support.

"He didn't- I read his mind, now… it's a thing, after you get married," Scarlett agreed, crossing her arms over her chest and, giving Penelope a look.

"God, I hope not," Morgan chuckled, taking the elbow to the ribs from Garcia with a chuckle.

"So… what then?" Scarlett angled her gaze from Penny to her hand. "I'm lost…"

Penelope moved closer. "I said yes…. Of course, silly woman," she giggled, glowing from delight. "But I didn't take the ring, yet- I didn't put it on because, this is your day, sweetie- you and Reid and Norie- I don't want to detract from that…"

"Oh, for the love of toads… Penny- Are you new here? Are you both just meeting us?" she shook her head, scowling at her friend then her brother.

"Your news will only add to the happiness today. There is no way you'd 'detract' anything you… you… nugget-heads…" she sputtered, throwing her hands in the air.

Spencer laughed out loud at her exasperation.

"What she said," he agreed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Penny smiled brightly, pulling them both into her own hug.

"You are sure? You are sure…" she corrected herself, shaking her head. "Of course you are… you guys are the best friends ever… I love you both… I love Derek… God, I love everything," she giggled giddy with happiness.

"Then stop being dumb and put on your ring," Scarlett ordered. "I want to see it!"

Derek removed the pink diamond from the box, settling it onto Penny's finger. The look that passed between the two of them gave Scarlett's heart a tug, and she felt her eyes start to tear.

Spencer moved closer to her, handing her his handkerchief. She took it, dabbing at her eyes.

"I'm going to be all red and puffy in Mama's pictures now," she joked.

"Softie," he teased, kissing her temple.

"Hush, don't let that spread," she nudged him, giving a fake scowl. Reid kissed the lines between her brows. "You're only one of the few who knows…"

"It'll be my secret," he laughed.

Scarlett reached over to take Penelope's hand.

"Come onnnn…" she stressed the words, sounding like Norie. "Let's tell Mama! Now, please… before I bust!"

Penny giggled, wrapping her arm around Scarlett's shoulders. "Alright- let's tell!"

Morgan shook his head, laughing as the two of them skipped up the path like children.

"Are we insane?" he asked, throwing a look over to Reid.

"Yes. And incredibly lucky…" Spencer laughed with his friend. "Congratulations, Derek…"

The smile that lit Morgan's face said it all.

"Thanks, kid…"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Spencer looked around the dining room table, crowded with family. Chairs were butted close together to accommodate the growing number of people, and conversations flew around him at a crazy speed.

He enjoyed every moment of it.

"So, an August wedding?" Frannie was saying as the talk turned back to Penelope and Derek. "In DC… it sounds wonderful…"

"I was considering spring," Penny nodded, taking a sip from her glass of iced tea. "But I already checked and the gardens are booked solid… I really liked the idea of a garden party theme…"

Her gaze travelled over to Morgan and he grinned.

"Summer flowers are just as beautiful, Baby Girl," he reminded her. "And none of it will be as beautiful as you," he added slyly.

A chorus of 'awes' came from the table, and Penny giggled.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," she nudged him teasingly. Derek leaned over; whispering something for her ears only and Garcia blushed.

Scarlett set her chair back from the table, starting to clear up and Spencer stood to help.

Norie jumped to follow them.

"I'll rinse, Dad can fill the dishwasher," she said, finding every opportunity to use her newly appointed titles for her parents. Her smile lit her face brightly as she helped.

Desiree looked over at her two sons with a glance. "You boys help your cousin with the dishes… tell your aunt and uncle to come back in and sit," she told them, her voice brooking no argument. Anthony gave one brief look to his father, hoping to get out of the chore, but saw his look matched his mom's…

"C'mon, Jake… let's go help Norie," the boy nudged his younger brother off his chair. "When we get done, maybe she'll come outside…"

"Noreen has her dress rehearsal in an hour," Scarlett told them as she overheard the conversation. "Her play is tomorrow…" she reminded them.

Now, Anthony groaned. "Do I have to get dressed up for that too?" he asked, looking down at the good clothes his mom made him wear for today.

"Well, that's up to your momma, little man… But it's not necessary," she added, giving Desiree a look.

"You help out with the clean-up, and pose nicely for a few more family pictures for your grandma- and I'll let you wear your jeans tomorrow," she told her son.

"Arrgh, more pictures?" the boy lamented, but was silenced by his mother's glare.

"Sorry," he apologized, turning his attention back to the dishwasher.

Spencer gave his small shoulder a squeeze in solidarity. He felt the same way when he'd heard Desi mention 'more pictures'.

Everyone gathered in the family room afterwards to give Frannie her chance to take the pictures she'd wanted.

"This is the last, I swear," she grinned at the good natured groans at her expense.

"Everyone up along the couch, husbands and wives, soon to be husbands and wives…" she added with a smile at Penelope.

"Sarah, sit in the center, leave a space for me…" she ordered, setting the camera on timer. "Kids, sit by your parents, on the floor, if you have to- come on, shuffle," she laughed as she scooted around Norie, who'd knelt beside Scarlett's knees.

"Okay, ready? Everyone say 'Family'," she grinned as the flash went off.

Sarah was the first to reach the camera. "Perfect," she declared, not allowing her mom to request another sitting.

"Just let it go, Mama," she teased, when Frannie sighed as she noticed Cleo lying along the back of the couch, and Walter rubbing up against Norie's knees, getting his face in the shot.

"Alright," Fran agreed, looking at the picture again. She smiled at the crowded couch. "You're right, it's perfect," she nodded, leaning into Sarah's hug.

Scarlett glanced over at the clock.

"Hey, I hate to break up the party… but I have to get Norie over to the school for her rehearsal…"

Desi patted her husband's knee. "We have to get home, too. Anthony has to finish his homework, and they both need to get baths before bed."

Jacob groaned loudly, hanging on Scarlett's legs. "I wanna stay with Aunt Katy tonight… I wanna play a game with her," he pouted.

Scarlett scooped the boy up off the floor, tickling him.

"Tomorrow night, tater tot… after the play, if it's alright with your mama, we'll come back here and I'll pull out the board games. Your choice," she told him.

Jacob stopped wiggling long enough to hang backwards looking over at his mom upside down. "Can we Mama?" he asked. "Can we play a game tomorrow night? Please?"

Desi took her boy back into her own arms, giving her sister a shoulder bump. "Maybe Aunt Katy can watch both of you, while Daddy and I will have date night…"

Norie bounced on her feet. "Can we, Mom? I'll help… the boys can bring their sleeping bags and camp out in my room…"

Scarlett looked over at her sister. "I don't think Aunt Desi would complain about a whole night 'date night'," she grinned. "So it's okay with me as long as she's fine with it?"

"More than," Desi winked at Scarlett. She caught her husband's eyes. "What do you say about a sleep over?" she teased.

Tony reached over and tugged Scarlett's hair. "I'd say 'thank you'!" he joked giving his wife a goofy smile.

"We can consider it practice," Scarlett gave Spencer a teasing look. "I was thinking three might be a good number…"

"Three?" he looked confused for just a moment before catching her eye.

"Oh…" he blushed slightly as his brain went fuzzy.

Babies…

His heart did a nervous flip against his ribs.

"C'mon, farm boy… let's get our daughter over to the school," she told him, seeing the look on his face stuck somewhere between wonder and worry.

He rubbed at the ache in his chest as he followed his wife and Norie out the front door.

The whole drive to the school, Norie chattered away nervously. Her excitement for the dress rehearsal and the play itself was evident in her expression. Scarlett chanced a sidelong look over at Spencer when he failed to respond to something Norie said, and she could clearly see his mind had wandered to something else.

She gave his thigh a light punch, bringing him around.

"What…?" he pulled himself back to the present conversation.

"Geez, Dad… stay with us," Norie teased. "I asked you if you've ever seen 'Beauty and the Beast' before…" she asked him again.

"Uh, no… not the play," he answered with a shake of his head. "I've read the original novel La Belle et la Bête written by French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and published in 1756 in French, and the Grimm brothers' version of the fairy tale…" he commented off-handedly. "But I've never seen the play or any variation of it."

"Not even the Disney cartoon?" Norie asked skeptically. Spencer shrugged.

"Nope." He caught her disbelieving gaze in the mirror. "I never watched much TV or movies until your sis- until your mom came along," he caught himself and corrected his words.

Noreen grinned hugely. "It takes some getting used to, doesn't it, _Dad_ ," she giggled. "That's why I'm using it as much as possible…" she leaned forward as Scarlett came to a stop in front of the school.

"I love you, _Mom_ ," she stressed, kissing Scarlett's cheek, and waiting as Spencer got out of the car to open her door. Scarlett turned to meet her eyes.

"Love you too, baby girl…" she told her, watching Spencer open the back door and give the girl a hug. He said something that made the little girl laugh, giving her a quick hug before he got back in the car.

As Scarlett pulled out of the parking lot, she saw Spencer starting to get lost in his thoughts again.

"Okay, farm boy…" she sighed. "Are you going to share what's going on in that beautiful mind, or am I going to be driving back in silence?" she asked.

He gave her a sheepish look, shrugging.

"Ah. Okay then," she shook her head, giving him a grin. "But if I'd known that talking about kids was going to scare you stupid, I'd have kept my mouth shut…" she offered.

"I- uh…um… I'm not scared," he stammered out, rolling his eyes at his own inability to speak. "Stupid maybe," he grunted. "But not scared…"

Scarlett chanced a glance to his face. He was still staring ahead. "You certainly looked scared when I mentioned it…" she mentioned, trying to keep him talking.

"No… maybe, I don't know… Scarlett," he sighed, scrubbing at his face with his hands.

"Three?" he asked, finally looking at her, his eyes wide.

She gave him a slight smirk. "Well, technically two, because we already have one," she told him.

"Ah, yeah… God…" he huffed out a tense breath, tapping his fingers as he looked away from her again, staring out the window.

Scarlett cocked a brow, noticing his nervous tells. She pulled over into a coffee shop parking lot and parked the car. Spencer turned his head to look at her again.

"You want coffee?" he asked quizzically.

Scarlett chuckled lightly, meeting his hazel eyes. She caught the worry in them this time.

"No, not really. I just wanted to stop driving," she told him.

"I want to talk about whatever it is that is bothering you," she explained, setting her hand over his still twitching fingers.

Spencer looked down at her hand, noticing for the first time what he'd been doing. He closed his eyes, drawing in a fortifying breath and willed himself to keep still.

"C'mon, Spence," she said softly, giving his fingers a squeeze. "Talk to me, please, pretty boy?"

"Scarlett…" he kept his eyes down, looking at their hands. "I want kids… I want a family with you- so much, I can't even describe it…"

She heard the pain in his voice, the soft tremble of nerves that he was fighting so hard to control, and threaded her fingers through his.

"But?" she asked, knowing there was one coming.

"But…" he blew out the word on another strained breath, meeting her eyes. "I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette with genetics," he finally told her. "What if I pass my mother's disease on to our kids?"

"Spencer," Scarlett straightened her shoulders and looked into his eyes. When he looked away, she shook her head, taking his chin in her hand.

"No… don't you look away from me, Spencer Reid," she warned him, her voice tight with controlled emotion.

"We've had this conversation before," she reminded him, keeping her voice firm. "You already know my feelings on the subject…"

When he opened his mouth to interrupt, she laid a finger across his lips.

"Nothing has changed in my mind, Spence. Nothing you will say will change what I feel in my heart. Having a baby is a genetic lottery from both sides of the parents. We can't be sure- nobody can ever be sure- of what may go south when they conceive a child. Nobody can ever know what may happen… even after a child in born! That's why parents worry. They can't help but worry…"

She kept her eyes locked onto his, moving her hand to brush his hair back off his face.

"Sweetie, your concerns are valid, and I understand why you are worried… but there wouldn't ever be a guarantee even if your mom wasn't sick. So what then? Nobody ever has kids again because they are too afraid something may go wrong? Is that the option you'd want to choose? Not to try at all?"

Watching his eyes, she continued.

"You of all people know that schizophrenia isn't just passed down genetically. Your mom is the only one in your family who has it- you told me that yourself. So then, anybody who has a child is taking the risk of seeing that baby grow up to have to deal with it- or hundreds of other mental and physical diseases…"

She stopped talking a minute, just to watch him. He kept his eyes locked onto hers like a lifeline to hope…

"Spence," Scarlett said his name on a sigh, butting her forehead against his. "Do you really not ever want to try, just because fear holds you back?" she asked, gently stroking his cheek with her fingers.

He closed his eyes as he felt her touch. Taking her hand in his, he pressed it to his cheek, kissing her wrist.

"I'm going to worry," he told her, his voice quiet. He opened his eyes to look into hers, clasping her hand in his.

"I'm going to drive you and myself insane with worry," he repeated, kissing her fingers.

"I can't help it. I won't be able to stop that… But, God, Scarlett- I want kids… I want to see you pregnant, carrying our child… I want to see it, see a combination of us running around… I just- I want it so much I feel guilty and selfish, and…"

Scarlett cut him off with her kiss. The words, the feelings he was projecting, took her by surprise at their intensity, and she just wanted to wrap herself around him to stop his worry. She wanted to protect his heart against all its fear and let him know everything would be alright.

Spencer took her kiss, felt the emotion she put into it, and let it wash over him.

"I love you, Spencer Reid…" she breathed out the words softly, letting them fall across his lips.

"As I love you, Scarlett Reid…" he nudged her gently with his nose, stealing another kiss from her lips.

Scarlett let her thumbs trace his cheekbones as she held his face in her hands. She kept her eyes locked on his, letting him see the truth in her words.

"I can't promise you perfection, boy. I can't promise there won't be worry or fear or pain or hurt… It's not possible. I can only promise you it will be worth it and that I'll be beside you all the way…"

Spencer nodded, unable to speak as emotions closed up his throat at her words. He touched his lips to hers, holding her promise close to his heart.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The entire third row was taken by Noreen's family. Penelope held her phone between the people in the second row, and Scarlett could see she had a video chat open, conferencing JJ in to watch the play.

She leaned over, waving quickly at her friend via the stream and saw JJ wink at her. Scarlett looked down as her phone vibrated.

'Congrats, *Mom*…' JJ had texted with a smiley emoticon.

Looking over at Penny's feed, she saw JJ typing another message. She noticed Spencer check his phone also and grin at the text.

The lights flashed and everyone settled in to watch their children perform. Scarlett leaned closer to Spencer, resting her head on his shoulder as he took her hand in his.

The kids pulled off a cute rendition of the Broadway version of the play, doing the best they could at varying ages of twelve to fifteen year olds. Even the stage was handled by students, and you could hear some nervous chuckles now and then as something went slightly wrong.

When the curtain closed, everyone stood, giving the kids applause. Scarlett saw Spencer sneak over to the stage, handing off a bouquet of pink roses to an advisor, who took them over to Noreen as she stood center stage. Taking her bow along with the others, Norie looked over to where her family sat and gave them a wave. A smile lit her face, as she chatted to the other kids alongside her.

The drama teacher went on stage, presenting each of the students and giving each of them credit for a job well done, as parents took pictures. As everyone began filing off the stage, Scarlett felt her phone vibrate again.

She was going to ignore it for the moment, thinking it was JJ, but then she saw Spencer, Derek and Penny each reach for their phones.

 _Shit_.

Scarlett pulled the phone from her pocket with a sigh. She saw Hotch's number and opened the text.

'Chicago PD asking for assist. Three bodies found in the last three days. Escalation of poss serial- ongoing investigation. We will meet with you at their station by midnight. Detective has sent case files to Garcia for distribution. See you there.'

"Well, at least it's close," she commented, looking up at Spencer.

He squeezed her shoulder lightly. "We still have a few hours to give Norie, and time to play a round or two of 'Trouble' with the boys," he offered.

Scarlett sighed. "I know. Up side- by midnight, they will probably all be asleep and won't even realize we are gone…"

She looked over at her mom. "Down side- I have to ask Mama to cover for me, yet again..."

Spencer heard the sadness in her voice. "Hey, come on crazy girl. Focus on the positive," he kissed her cheek. "We are taking our daughter out for cake and ice cream to celebrate her acting debut," he squeezed her hand as they headed through the doors to wait for Norie.

"Then we get a few hours of insanity with sugar hyped nephews and a classic board game; in which I will kick everyone's butt, by the way," he teased, tweaking her nose as she wrinkled it at him in mirth.

"And to wrap it all up, we get to tuck them safely into bed, before we have to go back to hunting down unsubs…" he told her. "All in all, it's not that bad…"

Scarlett shook her head, laughing at his reasoning. "Well, yes, I guess I could be more grateful, since you put it that way…" she bumped her hip to his. "It's going to be a late night…" she stated as Morgan and Garcia moved up through the crowded lobby to stand next to them.

"Let's not read the files yet, please," Penelope begged, looking at the three of them. "Can we just keep it closed until after?" she asked.

Scarlett nodded. They'd have the case files memorized in a matter of minutes between her and Reid. There was no reason they couldn't wait a little longer.

"We'll look it over later," she agreed with Penny. "Right now is Norie's time… We still have now and board games," she joked with them. "Enough time for the other, later."

Frannie joined up with them by the main doors. She saw the looks of concern mixed in their faces and sighed.

"You guys got a case…" she stated rather than asked.

Scarlett looked into her mother's eyes. "It's right here, in Chicago," she told her. "We don't have to leave, yet…"

Fran nodded, watching her daughter's face pinch slightly.

"We don't have to meet the others until midnight," Scarlett worried out loud. "But I promised the kids a sleep over," she said, meeting her mom's face again.

"So they'll get their sleepover," Frannie tugged Scarlett's hair over her shoulder. "Don't you dare think you are imposing on me, little girl," she warned her.

Scarlett rolled her eyes slightly at her words and thinly veiled threat. "Mama…"

"Don't roll your eyes at your mother, Katy Scarlett," Fran's tone became slightly indignant. "My grandbabies aren't any sort of an imposition… and I won't have you even thinking that way…" she scowled slightly, tweaking her daughter's chin.

"Understood?!" she asked, lightening the words with her slight smile.

"Yes, ma'am," Scarlett allowed, reaching over to kiss Frannie's cheek. "I love you, Mama," she added with a smile of her own.

Fran patted her back as she hugged her. "Then it's settled, and we are ending this conversation now, because here comes your daughter…" she stated, looking over at the others.

Spencer nodded in quiet agreement just as Norie bounded up to them, her arms full of flowers.

"Look!" she danced around them happily. "Look at all of these!" she grinned over the pile. "I've got ones from Mom and Dad, Uncle Derek and Auntie Penny- even Aunt JJ and Uncle Dave all the way from DC had a bouquet delivered!" she said in awe. Scarlett saw her look around quickly; dropping her voice so only they could hear.

"I think some of the others were a little jealous," she said.

"And my friend Judy… the girl who played one of the townspeople? She didn't get flowers," she commented a bit sadly. "I gave her one of mine… Is that okay?" she asked Scarlett.

"Of course it's okay, little one!" she wrapped her arm around Norie's shoulders. "You ready to celebrate? You were all so wonderful up there!" she hugged her daughter closer, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead.

"My turn!" Penny tugged Norie into her embrace, careful not to crush the flowers. "You were wonderful, sweetheart!"

They all headed out to the parking lot, meeting up with Desi, Tony and the boys. Norie set her flowers carefully in the back of Fran's car on top of the boys' overnight bags.

Desi hugged and congratulated Noreen as the boys ran around her, chasing each other in a circle.

"Okay, troops," Scarlett opened the back door to her mom's SUV. "Saddle up- your mom and dad have reservations to keep," she told her nephews.

Tony winked at his sister-in-law and mouthed the words 'thank you' to her as the boys whooped and hollered. Scarlett laughed.

"No problem… Enjoy yourselves," she told them both. "See you guys tomorrow…"

Frannie headed over with Derek and Penny to where Sarah waited in her car.

"We will meet up at Riley's," she told Spencer, naming a family restaurant a few blocks away. "I had them set aside a table- and a cake," she said with a grin.

Spencer opened the passenger door for Scarlett, and smiled slightly when he saw little Anthony do the same for Norie. He ran his hand over the child's head, shutting the back door as the boy buckled himself in. Sliding into the drivers' side, he started the car and followed Sarah to the restaurant.

The restaurant was crowded with other attendants from the play, and Norie met up with a few more friends, introducing Scarlett and Spencer to several new faces. They watched her move from table to table, talking to her friends, laughing and joking around with everyone.

"She's found her niche," Spencer commented, watching how easily Norie interacted with everyone.

Scarlett smiled up at him, leaning her head against his arm as she watched also.

"She's happy," she agreed, her heart light with joy. "I am too…"

Spencer leaned over slightly to give her a quick kiss.

"I'm still going to kick your butt in 'Trouble'," he teased.

Scarlett giggled slightly, shaking her head. "You can try, but I am the reigning Queen of all board games," she laughed.

Anthony looked up from his piece of cake. "Na-ah, Aunt Katy- I won last time," he reminded her. "That's why I get to pick tonight's game…" he told her.

"Oh, you are right," Scarlett grinned, winking over the boy's head at Derek. "How could I have forgotten?" she giggled. "So which one are we playing tonight, kiddo?"

Anthony thought for a moment. "Trouble sounds good to me," he grinned around his fork. "I can win again…"

"Na-ah…" Jacob chimed in. "It's my turn to win…" the little boy told his older brother.

"It doesn't work like that," Anthony said in an exasperated tone. "You don't get a _turn_ to win," he shook his head.

Scarlett tuned out the boys' chatter as she felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Turning slowly, she scanned the room, casually looking to see what could be causing her wariness. Nothing seemed out of place…

Spencer noticed her slight change and lowered his voice.

"What?" he asked her.

Scarlett shook her head slightly. She couldn't figure it out, but she'd felt like someone had been _watching_ her…

Shaking it off, she turned back to her family. Catching Spencer's concern, she just shrugged.

"I don't know," she told him honestly. He took her hand under the table, giving it a squeeze. Scarlett threaded her fingers through his, holding it tighter.

"I guess it's nothing," she stated, giving her attention back to Norie as she rejoined them, scooping up some of her ice cream.

"Mom- my friend Katelyn's mom wants to know if I can go shopping with her this Saturday. Katelyn is the girl who helped with the costumes, remember?" Scarlett's memory brought up a blond girl, blue eyes about Norie's height and the darker blond mother that Noreen introduced them to when they'd first arrived.

"Her mom sewed most of them herself, she's really great at it… and Kaitlyn's in her aunt's wedding too, just like I'm going to be in Auntie Penelope's… I want to go so I can check out some dress styles too, even though it's early… just to see… Katie's mom might even just _look_ at the styles and make Katie's herself, she is soooo talented…" she rattled on rapidly as she shoveled ice cream in her mouth.

Scarlett was just getting ready to warn her when…

"Oh, oww," Norie pinched the bridge of her nose as a brain freeze hit from eating the cold dessert too fast.

"Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth… it helps," Scarlett told her, trying to keep the laugh out of her voice at the face Norie had made.

"And don't eat it so fast," Spencer added, covering his own grin behind his hand. He pushed his coffee over at her.

"Here," he said. "The warm drink will help faster…"

Norie took a small sip of the coffee, her face signaling relief.

She sighed. "Sorry," she apologized.

"For what?" Spencer asked. Scarlett looked confused also.

"I was going too fast again," Norie looked around the table, blushing slightly. "My friends call it 'Norese' when I start babbling and they can't understand me…"

Scarlett grinned, seeing that the girl wasn't upset by the teasing name.

"You get over-excited," she offered. "It happens. But luckily your dad and I think as quickly as you and I understand ' _norese'_ \- so…" she winked at Spencer…

"If you want to go with Katie, that's fine. Styles for gowns change a lot between seasons, so, of course, you won't want to pick anything out just yet- and you know we'll be going shopping with Aunt Penny so she can show us what she wants in her wedding. But looking and maybe trying something on this Saturday to get an idea with your friend sounds great… Katelyn is lucky to have such a talented mother… the costumes were absolutely terrific tonight," she told her, chattering back just as fast as Noreen had delivered the words, making the girl smile.

Spencer laughed out loud, listening to them banter some more conversation back and forth. Scarlett nudged him, smiling into his eyes.

"It's like our own language," Norie teased, finishing off her dessert, more carefully this time.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Spencer walked into the station just ahead of Scarlett as Penelope asked for the detective who was heading up the murder cases.

Detective Adams nodded at them as she made introductions to the team.

"We've been briefed on the way over," Morgan said, shaking the officer's hand. "We have three other agents on their way from the airport," he stated, stepping into the acting supervisory role.

"I'll go set up with Chi-town's techs," Garcia offered, looking over at Reid and Scarlett. "Can you guys give me a quick hand?" she asked, indicating the two cases at her feet.

"It won't take long to run some wires with the extra help," she looked over at Morgan's nod of approval.

"Tech is right over there," Detective Adams pointed to the glass doors at the end of the hall, watching as the three turned towards them.

"We have a room set aside with everything Agent Jareau had requested, over here…" the detective showed Morgan to an interior office.

Derek followed him through the main floor and into the office.

"Morgan…" Derek looked over at the sound of his name in a familiar voice. He grinned as he saw Cooper already at work in the room.

"Coop," Morgan clasp the man's hand, pulling him into a one armed hug. "I'd like to say I'm glad to see you…" he grinned, slapping his back and pulling away.

"Under different circumstances…" Cooper granted, tapping a finger to the files in his hand. "I'm glad your team is here to help, regardless…"

Adams looked over at the board already covered in maps and dump sites. "I'll add my agreement to that," he stated flatly. "We need to get ahead of this guy before he goes under again…"

His cell phone rang in his pocket and he excused himself from them.

"I've got to take this…"

Morgan saw Cooper nod, and then scan the outside office through the window.

"Reid and Scarlett are helping Penny set up a direct link to her system at Quantico, since she was already here with us in Chicago visiting," he told his friend, figuring out who Coop was looking for…

"The rest of our team, Rossi, JJ and Hotch, will be here shortly…"

"So fill me in on what you have so far, Cooper," Morgan stated, looking at the wall.

"Not much, I'm sorry to say…" Cooper ran a hand over his jaw, frustrated. "The earlier cases match the M.O.- but we don't have any hard evidence. Just the vics and the signature…"

"The ones from this time last year match exactly… and if this year follows…"

"We'll have four more dead women by the end of the week, and the unsub will go underground for another year," Morgan finished. He looked over the board in front of him, studying the women. "He kills for one week then he hides- so this week means something to him specifically…"

"And he's definitely got a type," Derek stated, looking over stats on the board. "Mid-twenty, early thirties, athletic build, fair skinned…" he squinted slightly at the report.

"Shit- it's a very specific type… all the vics were red heads under five two?" he asked his friend.

"Yeah," Cooper reached into the folder in his hands, starting to add pictures to the board. Morgan scowled at the sight.

"That's why I was looking for your sister, dude… I was sort of hoping she'd stayed back in DC for some reason…"

The faces of the victim's photos stared back at them, each eerily resembling Scarlett.

"I don't need to tell you why this case has gotten under my skin…" Cooper added, looking over to his friend.

The crime scene shots showed each woman posed in a different public location as if on display, each dressed in a blue pressed shirt and black pants- their make-up and hair replicated perfectly on each. Even the bruises from the cause of death, strangulation, were invisible under the careful hand of the unsub.

Their throats had been completely crushed according to the coroner's reports, and yet no outward signs had showed at the perfectly presented bodies, with the exception of the burst blood vessels in the eyes...

"He's meticulous on the details, each one of the vics were groomed exactly the same way, like he's recreating a picture over and over…" Cooper shook his head.

"So we have to try to figure out what that picture is…" Derek agreed. "It can point us to the unsub…"

He studied the board, seeing how each woman was posed, their hands set linked together like in prayer, their hair braided over their left shoulder, reddened eyes staring out, locked in death.

Morgan turned as the office door opened. He saw Scarlett's face light up with a smile as she crossed over into Cooper's arms.

"Coop! You could've told me you were working this case!" she grinned as he picked her up into a bear hug.

"I thought maybe you'd be holding it against me that I missed your wedding, red-bird," he teased.

"Never," she told him, hugging him tight. "I know how the job goes, Cooper…"

"Yeah, well, not that it makes up for missing your big day- but we caught the perp. He's doing life… never going to see the light again after killing that kid," he told her, hugging her back. He straightened up, setting her back to her feet and looked over at Reid.

"Belated congratulations, man…" he offered his hand to Spencer.

Reid took it, returning the handshake. "Thanks," he said uncomfortably.

Even though Scarlett had clearly explained to Reid that she and Cooper were never anything but friends and never would be anything more, Spencer still felt slightly out of sorts about knowing that John Cooper was in love with Scarlett. He wasn't sure what to do about it, so he just stepped back, looking at the board instead.

He was taken aback in shock as he looked over the victims. His brow furrowed and he looked over at Morgan.

"Yeah, that's probably just about the look I had, kid…" Derek shook his head.

"The perp has a specific target that these women are subs for, I'd bet my last dollar on it," Cooper agreed.

Scarlett let her gaze travel to the victim's before pictures and felt a tic in her nerves. But the after pictures stopped her cold. Her eyes rounded and her breathing stuttered in her throat.

"You are off this case, Scarlett…" Reid ground out between clenched teeth. She whirled on him, eyes narrowed.

"You don't get to make that call, Reid," she told him, anger now tingeing her voice at his demand.

"I am sure Hotch will agree…" he warned her that he was going to go over her head to keep her off of it.

Cooper raised a brow to Morgan, but addressed Reid. "Look, I know they look an awful lot like Red, but…" he stopped as Spencer lifted his phone up before them.

He watched the two men beside him as they looked at the picture now on his screen.

They didn't have eidetic memories… so neither one of them originally saw what he and Scarlett had seen.

Reid had pulled Scarlett's Academy graduation photo onto his phone. Holding it eye level with the crime photos- they were now able to see it clearly.

Scarlett's face looked out from the picture in her blue uniform shirt. Her braid hung over her left shoulder, hands linked in front of her at her waist…

"The unsub is after Scarlett…" Reid stated flatly, his gaze meeting hers. "You are off the case… or I'll leave."

"You'll what?!" she said in shock, looking to her brother for support.

"Scarlett- I can't say I disagree with Reid on this one," Derek told her. That picture hung on their mother's wall for Christ's sake, and he hadn't made the connection? Morgan looked over at the board again, feeling the very real urge to punch something.

"This is too close, Katy- you won't be able to remain impartial," he told her, meeting her angry stare.

"Oh, and you all aren't? Is everyone going to step off this case? No? But I'm supposed to just bow out and let this guy kill women for looking like me? Really?" she snapped, glowering at Derek then back at Reid.

"No, you step back and let us do our jobs- let us catch him…" Morgan corrected her.

Scarlett pressed her lips into a thin line, looking over Morgan shoulder. "Hotch is here now. I'll just see what he has to say about it," she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. Her eyes held Reid's for a moment, daring him to say anything else.

Spencer threw the case file onto the desk, keeping his eyes level to hers.

"I'm serious, Katy Scarlett," he warned her. "If you stay on this case, I'm leaving…"

He walked out of the room, leaving her staring after him.

Reid passed Hotch on the way outside.

"I need some air," he told his supervisor, trying to take his tone down a bit, but failing miserably.

Hotch only nodded, looking over at Dave and JJ for a brief moment before entering the office.

"What's going on?" he asked Morgan for an update. He took in the tension in the room in a heartbeat, looking from Scarlett to Cooper, then over at the wall.

The images there gave him pause.

JJ noticed too. "Oh," she spoke softly, catching her friend's eyes.

Morgan pulled up the original picture that Reid had texted to him on his way out the doors.

"It's worse," he commented, showing the others what Spencer had pointed out. Scarlett's frown tightened.

Rossi looked over at her face, seeing the anger simmering there. "I'm assuming Dr. Reid suggested Agent Ryan sit this one out?" he asked, reading the situation correctly.

Cooper ran his hand over his hair, looking at the wall again. "I wouldn't disagree with him, if it means anything," the detective stated, earning a glare from Scarlett.

Hotch recognized the man, remembering that Scarlett had close ties to the Chicago PD. He could see that his team was already fracturing into camps on this… Morgan stood hipshot against a desk, over beside the detective, while JJ moved closer to Scarlett's side and Reid had left the building. He closed his eyes for a minute, trying to clear his mind from the pictures that hung on the wall.

"Detective," Hotch addressed Cooper directly. "This is your department's case. If you would prefer Agent Ryan to not be a part of it, we can make those adjustments and assist you still…"

Cooper blew out a tense breath, avoiding Scarlett's gaze. He met Hotch's eyes instead, looking over her head.

"Look, I want to catch this guy. I want him locked up and locked down before another body is put on display. Detective Adams and I called your team in to help us to do that. So I'll do whatever you tell me will make that happen…"

Coop finally looked down to meet Scarlett's steely gaze. "But I want you safe, Scarlett. So you are out…"

Scarlett felt JJ's hand move to her shoulder when she tightened her stance, clasping her hands into fists.

"Let's take a walk, Katy," JJ suggested, nudging her friend towards the door before she could say anything she might regret.

Cooper watched as they left the room, keeping his gaze averted from the women who were both now glaring at him.

"That's not going to go over too well," he admitted to Hotch. "But I feel better…"

Rossi picked up the folder Reid had left behind. "We will need to look into Scarlett's past," he reminded them. "So it isn't going to 'go well' to her mind in any stretch of the imagination…"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Spencer received Morgan's text saying that Cooper asked Hotch to have Scarlett removed from the case. He breathed out a sigh of relief, realizing he should have figured Cooper would have chosen to protect Scarlett too. If things had gone differently, after all, Cooper could have been standing in his place…

The thought brought another scowl to Reid's face. He'd turned to head back up the stairs when JJ and Scarlett came through the doors.

Scarlett met his eyes in a cold stare.

"Well, you got your way, Dr. Reid," she snapped, not letting JJ hold her back this time. "I'm off the case… all you big strong men get to tell the little women to go home and take care of dinner," she shoved passed him roughly.

"Knock it off, Scarlett… you know your sex has nothing to do with this case," he threw back at her. "Don't use that with _me_ for fuck's sake," he warned, grabbing her arm to stop her.

"And why shouldn't I?" she argued. "My _husband_ got me tossed off of my job!" she shouted at him.

"Your 'husband' did no such thing," he shouted back. "Your _boyfriend_ did," he couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth in time. Scarlett's horrified look froze on her face.

"You did _not_ just say that to me," she lowered her voice, staring him down.

Spencer slammed his mouth shut a little too late. The damage was done. He didn't look away from her eyes and the silence hung between them heavily.

JJ looked down at her phone as it vibrated.

"Uh, guys- Hotch wants us all back inside… now," she told them. She looked between the two of them, praying they'd stop this scene.

"I'm leaving," Scarlett snarled. "There's no reason for me to stay."

Reid grabbed her arm tightly.

"You aren't going anywhere," he snapped back. "We need to talk to you…"

Scarlett tried to pull away and he tightened his grip.

"What? I'm in protective custody now? You're going to treat me like a victim?" she asked, looking down at his hand on her arm.

She stopped, raising her eyes to Spencer then to JJ, realizing that was exactly what was going to happen next.

"Son of a bitch," she swore, trying to pull away from Spencer again.

"No… just… No," she shook her head vehemently. "Don't do this," she met Reid's hard stare. "Just, don't… Please…" she asked.

Spencer held his breath as her anger turned into fear.

"You want to help?" he asked her the hard question. "Then help. This unsub is after you, Scarlett. Help us figure out why…"

Scarlett closed her eyes. The faces of the victim's ran though her mind behind the lids.

"You can't be out in the field Scarlett, as long as the target is on your back. You want to work the case? Then help us catch the killer… help us figure out who is doing this to you," he said more gently.

"Why would anybody be doing this Spencer?" she asked. "It doesn't even make any sense!"

Reid moved his hand down her arm, reaching for hers. "Scarlett," he gripped her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. "Come inside. We'll figure that out… together," he said.

"This is just unreal," she shook her head, following JJ back inside.

"It can't be real…" she repeated once she was taken into a separate interview room.

"As much as none of us want it to be real, Red, it's the first closest thing to a break that we've gotten in this case," Cooper told her when he overheard her plea.

"You and Reid both noticed right off that the unsub is recreating your picture…" Derek reminded her. "Even Coop and I missed that…"

"It's a standard grad pic," she argued. "It could be anyone…" she denied.

"With your coloring, build and height?" Morgan asked.

"While the statistics maybe low, we can't rule it out," Hotch agreed with her on that.

"Which is why we have Garcia running a scan for any other possible matches," he told them. "It'll take her a while, but if there are other matches out there, she'll find them…"

"But we need to find out if there is anything in your past that could have attracted this kind of anger and what the dates may have to do with you…"

Scarlett shook her head, taking a seat at the long table. "I've already run the dates in my head. Nothing stands out… nothing," she told Hotch. "You know I'd remember…"

"Maybe it doesn't have to do directly with you, but it means something to our unsub," Rossi stated. "He's picked this week for a reason…"

Penelope knocked lightly on the door. "I think I may have something about that," she offered, throwing Scarlett a worried glance.

"I haven't found anything else with the facial recognition data," she said sadly, "but when I put in Scarlett's picture, cross referencing with dates, I got a hit…"

Garcia put a hard copy of a newspaper article out on the table. Scarlett turned it towards herself, scanning it quickly.

"The newspaper ran that picture, and John's side by side when they wrote a piece about John's murder…" she shook her head, looking away from it.

"I didn't know," she told them. "I avoided reading anything about it or watching it on tv…" she closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples.

"It ran national," Garcia said quietly. "But the perp- the guy who shot John- his birthday is this week…"

Scarlett picked her head up at that. "And I killed him…" she stated flatly.

Spencer took the pages, reading them quickly. "The article doesn't mention his name… only that Scarlett was wounded and John Carter was killed- it doesn't detail anything about that…"

"Which would make someone close to him feel even angrier; as if his life accounted for nothing…" Rossi surmised.

Hotch looked over at Penelope. "We need all you can get on him… If this is revenge against Scarlett, someone who knew that perp could be our unsub," he told her.

Garcia nodded. "I've already started running a list- closest connections are already in your emails," she offered. "He, ummm, the man who shot Carter had a son… I put his name and address at the top of the list…"

Hotch nodded, looking over at Cooper. "We need to have some men bring him in…"

"Already on it," Coop said, lifting his phone to his ear.

Scarlett sighed heavily, looking around the room as everyone left in different directions, leaving her sitting there while they did their jobs. Hotch looked over her way.

"I know you don't appreciate being left in this position," he told her. "And it has no bearing on whether or not any of us think you can handle your job. It's about your safety and the best interest of solving the case as quickly as we can…" he told her gently.

Scarlett met his eyes briefly and looked away.

"You can't ask me to like it," she warned him. "Even if I can understand," she scowled.

Aaron's slight grin surprised her. "No, I won't ask that… I'll just hope that since you _can_ understand, you won't kill off one of my best agents in his sleep," he suggested lightly.

Scarlett's scowl deepened, as she threw a glare out the door to where Reid stood just on the other side, talking to another detective.

"Hotch, are you trying to get me to smile?" she asked him, biting the inside of her cheek, fixing him with a stare.

Hotch grinned outright. "Never…" he lied, heading out the door as Spencer re-entered.

Reid looked back momentarily when their supervisor shut the door behind him, closing them into the room alone together.

He wisely gave Scarlett a wide berth, moving to the other side of the table before setting down the folder in front of her.

"These are crime scene photos from the incident with John Carter and Ray Palmer…" Spencer looked at her to see if she'd recognized the name of the man she'd shot and killed. Nothing reflected on her face.

"…along with pictures for the people on the list that Garcia compiled of any associates of Palmer. Cooper wanted you to look at them, to see if anyone looked familiar, if anyone has been following you or approached you at any time since then…" he rubbed at the tense muscles in his neck.

"We could have their station's psychiatrist come down and look them over with you…"

Scarlett's face turned up to his at that.

"Fuck no," she snapped, pulling the file over towards her.

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that," Spencer slapped his hand down over hers on top of the file before she could open it.

"Scarlett…" his voice stopped her more than his hand. "There's going to be landmines in there…" he warned her, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Scarlett pulled back at his warning. She'd been so pissed off; she'd been ready to jump into it without considering that consequence. Her hand shook slightly under his…

She was beginning to believe they were right to keep her off the case. Seeing her therapist was helping her manage her mind, staying out of flashbacks, but this was going to test her to the extreme…

Pushing her chair back, Scarlett rounded the table, ignoring the file. She went to the window instead, looking out onto the dark street below.

Spencer clenched his fist to his sides. He hated seeing her like this, knowing she was hurting and not being able to do anything about it. His gaze travelled over to the door to the office, and noticed it had been locked.

Hotch was giving them some time...

He closed the space separating him from Scarlett with his long strides, pulling her against his chest before she could push him away.

She buried her face into his neck and he felt her tears on her cheeks.

"Shh," he breathed against her hair, holding her tightly as she wrapped herself around him. "It'll be okay, crazy girl. I've got you," he kissed her hair, breathing in her scent, needing to hold her close for himself as much as for her.

"We'll get through this together…" he told her, her soft sobs breaking his heart in a million pieces.

"I don't want to see… I don't want to look again, Spence. I don't want to remember- I just want to keep it buried… Is it so wrong that I want to keep it buried?" she cried.

"No, no…" he assured her. "It's normal," he said, setting his fingers under her chin, raising her eyes to his. "It's perfectly normal to not want to bring it all back, beautiful. I wish… I wish I could give you that. I swear… I do…"

Scarlett kept her eyes locked onto his, holding his gaze. "But you can't. It's here, again. And you can't…" she sobbed, wrapping her fingers around his wrists, pulling his hands away from her.

His breath caught in his throat, seeing the pain that was back in her eyes like it had been the first time he'd ever laid his gaze to hers. He shook his head, anger starting to turn his blood hot.

"Scarlett- I'll kill him for doing this to you, for causing you to feel this all over again," he swore, his muscles tense as he turned to pace. She knew he meant every word and that thought scared her more than the past.

Her voice choked on another sob.

"No," she shook her head, her eyes begging him to listen to her. "Please- Spence, I just… I need… you… only you… Please? I can't do this alone."

He stopped dead, hearing the fear tremble in her voice. "I won't leave you Scarlett…" he told her, taking her face in his hands again, meeting her eyes. "You aren't alone…"

"I'd never leave you," he repeated, making sure she was looking at him. When she held his gaze, tears falling down her cheeks, he brushed them away with his fingers, kissing her lightly.

"There's nothing that would ever make me leave you," he promised her. "Not even you," he said, pulling her closer.

Scarlett let him cuddle her close, borrowing strength from him. She swiped at her face, trying to get her breathing under control as he handed her his handkerchief.

"I don't know when I'll ever remember to carry some tissues for myself," she mumbled.

Spencer pressed a kiss to her brow. "Why would you?" he asked, rocking her against his chest.

"I've got you covered…"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Scarlett watched out the same window once again as daylight brought its way out of the dark, turning the city street below busy beneath her.

They'd brought in Ray Palmer's son and a brother last night. Both men were claiming innocence, but neither had a solid alibi.

Scarlett hadn't recognized either of them from their pictures, and she wasn't allowed to interview them.

She looked over as the door opened and felt a tiny bit of disappointment when Penelope entered, bringing in a cup of coffee.

"Hey," Garcia said softly, setting the cup down at the table. "How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Alright," Scarlett shrugged, and then met her friend's knowing gaze. "Shitty," she admitted.

"I have no idea what is going on, I'm a nervous wreck… and we aren't even sure that either one of those guys in there did this…"

She let Penny pull her close for a hug, sighing hugely. "I just- I need to know something, Pens… It's too…"

She stopped when the door opened again and this time Cooper entered.

"Hey…" she looked into his face, hoping to see some answers there. She couldn't read anything in his eyes and pouted slightly.

"We don't have anything solid yet, Red-bird," he told her, calling her by his pet name for her. "But neither of them have a solid alibi, and so far we haven't had any reports of any missing women that fit the description or any more victims. It's looking better and better that one of them is our perp," he told her.

Scarlett felt something niggle at the back of her brain at that news. She wasn't sure what it was- but it didn't feel like relief.

"Where's Reid?" she asked.

"He's still in with the son… Why is something wrong?" Coop asked, looking over at Garcia.

"No… it's nothing. I just have a bad feeling," Scarlett moved back over to the window, looking out again. "Something is off, Cooper. I can feel it. This is too easy…" she warned.

"Easy?" he asked her in disbelief. "There is nothing easy here, Scarlett. Neither one of those men are giving an inch…"

"Maybe because they are telling the truth," she stated flatly. "It doesn't make sense. Why would they come after me- or versions of me? What's the motivation behind that for a brother or a son? It's too personal- strangulation… It's not something that fits with revenge. They'd have come after me… fought to have me lose my job… or went after my family, someone I loved… It doesn't make sense…"

She paced the floor, her mind trying to fit the pieces together and they weren't working.

"Pens… I need to see the dates you pulled again. Go back further… I need to see… something is missing," she told her friend.

"Go back to before John was killed?" Garcia asked, confused.

Scarlett looked over at Cooper. "I'm going over to the tech room with Penelope," she told him. "Whenever Reid gets a minute, tell him that's where I went. I have to look at the data…"

Cooper shrugged, opening the door. "I don't doubt your hunches, Red… but I think that no new vics is proof enough for me to sleep easier," he argued.

"That's the point," she scowled, walking down the hall with Penelope. "It's too easy…"

Garcia sat down at the keyboard, looking up at Scarlett. "What do you want me to search, sweetie?"

"Widen the perimeters, Penny. Include a search for more victims within those dates with the same look, but go back further and cast a wider net. Try out of the city, include suburbs…"

Nothing new showed on the computer screen.

"Go further, Pens. There's something here we are missing, I can _feel_ it…"

"Okay, honey but…" the screen automatically pinged notifying them that there were more victims found the year before, but in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"Son of a bitch," Scarlett looked from the screen to Penelope. "The fucker crossed the state lines… that's why we didn't see it…"

"Send that information over to the team, Penny… I'm going to tell Cooper," she informed her friend, turning on her heel and leaving the tech offices.

"Oh… okay, but…" Garcia sent everything onto another file immediately, watching her friend leave the room.

She sighed, and hit the send button. "If it was a year before John was killed, what the hell does this mean?" she squinted at the screen again, frustrated.

After watching the screen a few more minutes, with nothing new to add, she re-adjusted again, and received no new hits. Garcia picked up her head as Morgan stepped through the doors.

"Baby Girl- what's going on?" he asked, holding up his phone and seeing the stress on her face.

"Scarlett had a feeling- she had me look further back and spread out the area for the search. We found those," she shook her head.

"Scarlett had a feeling?" he asked looking around. "Where did she go?"

Penelope froze. "She went to get Coop…" she looked at her watch. "Ten minutes ago…"

Derek turned and moved quickly out into the interior offices. He stopped by the two way mirror where Reid still sat talking to Ray Parker's son with Hotch. He rapped on the door quickly.

"Hotch," Morgan called the supervisor to his side, explaining quickly. Reid stood up, giving a look to the young man.

"Stay here," he told him, moving out into the hallway.

"What's going on?" he asked, watching Hotch opening the file Garcia had sent them.

Aaron looked up and met Reid's eyes. "Scarlett and Penelope found seven more victims in Milwaukee, predating what we thought was the stressor by a year," he told him quickly.

Spencer felt a tightening in his chest. "Where's Scarlett?" he asked, looking back to the interview room.

"She's not there Reid…" Morgan shook his head. "I already checked…"

"Where would she go?" he asked in confusion.

"Garcia said she went to find Cooper…" Hotch said quietly.

Spencer shook his head. "She wouldn't go off on her own…" he scowled darkly at the look Rossi gave Hotch when he came up beside them.

"Cooper's gone too…" Dave informed him.

Reid turned to his brother-in-law. "Do you think they'd go off together to try to hunt down an unsub?" he asked incredulously. "We don't even have a suspect…" he trailed off noticing Dave and Hotch's glance to each other.

"No... no way," Spencer shook his head and looked to Morgan for support. "Bullshit. Cooper loves her…"

"No… Coop wouldn't hurt her," Morgan agreed with Spencer almost simultaneously.

"He loves her?" Rossi asked Reid, picking up on his words.

"Yes…" Reid scowled. "He loves her," he repeated, tensely. "He would never hurt her."

"Reid, do you know that or is it what you want to believe? Her life may depend on that distinction," Dave warned him. "He's had access to all our moves since we got here. Whoever did this knew we had suspects in custody; otherwise there would have been another victim. Someone inside knew we were interrogating their best scapegoat…"

Spencer looked back over at Derek's nod. "We know," he told Rossi. "Scarlett trusts him with her life…" he said thinking of how she'd gone to Coop for help in the past…

He caught Morgan's gaze as they both put the last piece together that Scarlett had realized wasn't fitting.

"Brian…" they both said at the same time.

Hotch looked between the two men.

"Brian who?" he asked.

Derek was already calling Penelope. "Pens… It's Brian… yeah… Everything you got baby girl, right…" he said as she answered his call.

"Brian McGowan," Reid stated flatly. "He's someone who has a history, following Scarlett from back when she was still with John Carter. He is on this force, graduated with Scarlett… caused her some trouble after John died…"

Spencer shook his head, trying to remember everything he'd ever read on the man since he'd first heard about him.

"I didn't even think about him- Scarlett has discounted him and his advances since even before she'd started dating John. It fits," he scowled looking over at his supervisor.

"It fits, and I never even considered it because Scarlett had downplayed his role in her life. To her, he wasn't even a blip on her radar… but to him-"

"She is his focus," Hotch understood, looking over at the board, seeing the faces of the women who had already been murdered.

"He's been killing her vicariously, to get the team- and her- to come back here, so he could get to her…"

Morgan came back, still on the phone with Penny. "We may have something," he told them. "Garcia caught a bit from the cameras in the rear of the building. It looks like Cooper had gone outside to have a smoke and that's where Scarlett found him. The angle is off, you can only see their feet, but it looks like Cooper was tased, then Scarlett. A black Jeep was seen last leaving the back way. Penelope is tracking which way it travelled the best she can through the street cams…"

"It comes back registered to Brian…" Derek scowled darkly. "The asshole never even came to my mind," he told Reid.

"No, mine either," Spencer told him, angry with himself. "I underestimated his obsession with her…"

"We all did, kid, even Scarlett and Cooper. Otherwise he wouldn't have gotten so close," Morgan corrected him. "It won't happen again…"

"If they are in a position to fight back," Reid told him flatly, staring at the board again.

"Keep positive Spence," JJ told him as she moved closer to his side, rubbing his arm.

"Scarlett can defend herself and Cooper would do anything to protect her too. Nobody will be underestimating him now, but he doesn't know Scarlett, not really- only his version of her…" she stated as she also looked at the board. "She will fight back…" she reminded him as Penelope came into the room.

"I found the Jeep," Garcia handed Hotch a piece of paper. "It's parked behind this warehouse…"

"Let's go," Hotch nodded.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Scarlett struggled against the zip-tie cuffs at her back, inching them down just a little more. She almost had her shoulder out enough to move back through her arms to bring her hands forward. She stopped struggling as she heard Cooper moan.

"Sit still big guy," she whispered, scooting closer. Cooper shook his head, feeling Scarlett at his back, nudging him.

"What the fuck happened?" he muttered, "I feel like he was hit by a truck."

Pretty close, Scarlett guessed. All she remembered before being blindsided herself was seeing Coop take a hit from a taser.

"By who?" Coop snarled as she relayed that information to him.

"I've got an idea, but I'm not waiting to find out for sure while I'm trussed up… Hold still," she asked him. "I need to use your body for leverage," she explained.

She felt the chuckle roll through his big back. "Sounds kinky, Red," he teased.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "God, you are such a pig," she joked, bumping up against him roughly.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked when she slammed her back against him once more.

Scarlett bit her lips together to stifle her scream as her shoulder finally gave way. Sweat poured down her temple as she worked her hands to her front. She knew a bruise would form on her shoulder and she'd have to have the joint set back into place, but for now she was able to move her hands in front of her.

"Got it," she told him, yanking at the ties at her ankles. Cooper looked over his shoulder to see what she was straining at…

"Knife, front pocket," he turned slightly so his right hip was angled towards her.

Scarlett moved over quickly, pulling herself up on her knees to face him, patting his pocket until she felt where it was.

"You really think I'd try to waste time just to get your hand down my pants, at a time like this, Red?" he asked.

"With you, ya never know, stud," she teased, reaching into the pocket to slide out the folding knife. Her voice turned serious. "We were both knocked out for a bit, you could've lost it, and then it would have been a waste of time… He found my secondary," she scowled at her empty ankle holster as she sawed off the restraints at her feet, pissed off even more at the thought that he'd had his hands on her while she was unconscious.

"I should have figured this out sooner," Coop scowled, listening to her theory on who had taken them. "It never occurred to me the fucker was capable of murder… he's a serial killer for fuck's sake- and still on the force!"

"In a limited capacity, with just enough contact to know how to throw suspicion elsewhere…" Scarlett added, blowing out a sigh of relief when the small knife finally cut through the plastic.

They heard footsteps echoing on the concrete.

"Get back in place," Cooper told her on a harsh whisper. Scarlett tucked her legs back so they weren't seen and pushed herself back against Cooper again. She saw he'd dropped his head as if still knocked out.

She tucked the knife back into his hands so he could begin to cut himself loose. She felt his fingers grasp hers, squeezing them.

Scarlett let her hair fall over her eyes, to watch Brian step up towards her undetected. When he moved into the sunlight from one of the overhead windows she felt her blood boil when he grinned down at her.

"I hope you liked my anniversary presents, Red-bird," Brian smiled as he looked down at her.

"You are insane," Scarlett snarled at him roughly. "We don't have any anniversary Brian. You aren't a part of my life and never were!"

She felt Cooper grasp her hand tighter, trying to tell her to back off.

"No- you just needed reminding…" Brian shook his head. "You never understood," he complained. "So I had to remind you… I took those girls to show you- the same week we met- because I knew you would come back…"

"The week we met?" Scarlett scoffed, felt Cooper pinch her fingers in warning and closed her mouth.

She hadn't even put any importance on when she'd met Brian. Closing her eyes, she brought out the memory…

He'd always around her, standing in the sidelines, trying to get her attention... She remembered him begging her to go out with him and trying to keep away from him. He got pushy and cocky once or twice with John, and told her more than once that Carter wasn't 'right' for her- how he'd be a better choice…

She sighed at how she'd tolerated Brian always being around so she didn't stir up trouble for their group of friends… then remembered how badly the other man had been towards her after John died. He'd gone a bit delusional- but she'd never thought of him as anything more than an annoyance.

Now he was telling her he was a serial killer, and it was for her benefit? She pulled her hands away from Cooper and heard him snap out her name.

"Scarlett!"

She ignored the warning and stood up to face the insanity that fed Brian.

"I see you got yourself loose, Red-Bird," Brian chuckled. "Good, that should make this more interesting… You were so dull while you were unconscious…"

His words made her skin crawl in disgust. She covered it with a cocky grin.

"You won't be saying that when I'm kicking your ass, Brian. And don't call me 'Red-Bird'…" she warned him, circling back slowly so Brian wouldn't see Cooper working at his ties.

"That's not your name to call me…" she told him, moving him in front of Coop.

"Now, Scarlett… let's not bring your boyfriend into this just yet," Brian pulled back a little, looking down at Cooper. He narrowed his gaze at the man.

"Although I'd love to hear you beg for his life, before I kill him in front of you," Brian shrugged. He watched as Scarlett moved to the balls of her feet, as if ready to fight.

"I might even let you live long enough to watch me carve into your worthless husband, turning him a worse mess than he already is," Brian laughed again as that had Scarlett move in, throwing a punch. He dodged it easily, grinning at her.

"That gets your blood boiling Red? I guess you're used to having to stand up for the good doctor, though… aren't you?" his air rushed out of his lungs as she landed a solid kick to his abs.

"Nice shot…" he growled lowly. "Now it's my turn…" Brian swung out his arm, reaching to grab her. Scarlett danced back, staying away from his hands.

"You never gave me a chance," he told her. "I've been waiting a long time for the chance to show you what you've been missing."

Scarlett scoffed at that. "I guess you just don't get it do you Brian? I will never be yours, _never_ …" she ground out.

Brian's face contorted with rage and he mis-stepped, getting too close to Scarlett's right hook. She caught him with a powerful blow to the jaw. She heard a satisfying crunch under her hand and grinned as blood dripped from his mouth.

"You shouldn't have done that," he snarled, running towards her to plow into her. She dropped to the ground, kicking out her leg to the side, tripping him. He hit the floor, flipping himself around, jumping back up to face her again.

"You always did underestimate me," Scarlett told him, giving him a chance to right himself.

"What the fuck, Red… Stop playing around and finish the fucker…" Cooper cursed, pissed off that she'd given Brian the chance to get back up. He was still yanking at the ties behind his back, trying to saw at them with the small knife. He grunted when Brian kicked him with a heavy boot to the ribs.

Scarlett spun out, kicking Brian in the ribs in turn. She knew from the sound she'd broken at least one rib with the blow.

"I'm going to enjoy tearing you up," Brian told Cooper, wrapping his arm protectively around his rib. "You wouldn't stay out of my way… always turning up whenever I tried to talk to Scarlett."

Turning his head to look over at Scarlett, he held her gaze. "Why wouldn't you just see that we were meant to be together?" he asked her, his voice bordering on a whine. "If you would have just _listened_ , you would have seen that we were perfect for each other… but you never listened! Then once Carter was finally out of the way, I thought you'd see… It was karma! He took you away from me!"

Brian's voice turned angrier as he wheeled back on Cooper. "You had to keep butting in… not letting her see me- and for what? She turned her back on you, too!" he shouted, his face turning red with rage. He caught Scarlett moving towards him in the corner of his eye.

"You married that… that _doctor_ , for Christ's sake?" he drawled out Reid's title as if it was an aberration. "He's nothing… nothing like us… he's not worthy of being near you!" Brian barked out, his voice sounding pitchy as he rounded on her again.

"You chose him over me… you are going to have to pay for that…" he swore, raising his hand and moving in on her again.

Scarlett readied herself, waiting for him to get closer…

"You won't get the chance…"

Scarlett heard Reid's voice come from behind her. Her heart tripped a bit against her chest as she felt him move up closer to her, saw his revolver drawn on Brian.

"You gonna to stop me? Yeah… maybe as long as you have a gun…" Brian looked over to where Spencer stood alongside Scarlett. "Or are you going to keep hiding behind your wife, _doctor_?" he sneered at Reid.

He looked shocked when Reid handed his gun back to where Cooper now stood after being freed by Morgan.

"Right," Brian shook his head. "You'd love the excuse to shoot me…"

"Nobody shoots him," Spencer said calmly, moving to circle Brian, much like Scarlett had. "Nobody gets in my way…" he told his friends, as they moved in from the other side.

"He's mine," Reid stated flatly.

Brian looked around at the agents now surrounding him, raising his brows quizzically.

"You really think you can take me?" he barked out a laugh.

Scarlett shook her head, stepping to Spencer's side.

"You don't have to do this, farm boy…" she told him gently. "This asshole isn't worth your time," she reminded him.

Reid spared half a glance down at her.

"You have a bruise on your jaw, two on your arm and your wrists are bleeding," he told her after his quick inventory. He scowled darkly over at Brian.

"You made her cry," he told him. "…for that alone I could kill you. You laid your hands on my wife for the last time."

Spencer waited until Brian took a swing at him.

Reid dodged away from the fist, throwing his elbow back as he moved, catching Brian's nose. He felt it break under the blow, satisfied with seeing blood run down the other man's face.

Brian pulled back, wiping at the blood in surprise, thinking Spencer had gotten in a lucky shot. He narrowed his gaze, taking a different tact and charged at Reid.

Spencer let the hand to hand training he'd been working on take control. He grabbed Brian's arm, twisting it as he moved, using the bigger man's own momentum to pitch him face forward into the cement floor.

Pulling himself back from where the man lay, Reid looked down at him.

"Get up…" he shouted at Brian, moving to his side. "Get up you fucking bastard… I'm not done with you yet!" he roared, stepping closer. Scarlett fought the urge to scream when Brian grasped Spencer behind the knees, bringing him down.

Anger fueled Reid's rage, overshadowing any thought of pain. He didn't feel the punch that Brian landed to his side and quickly moved out of the way of a furious uppercut.

Spencer twisted behind Brian, wrapping his arm around the man's neck, cutting off his air. He squeezed tightly, his brain calculating quickly how much pressure he needed to apply to crush the trachea…

Like Brian had done to the other women… how he'd wanted to do to Scarlett… rage filled his vision in a red haze as he held tighter, feeling Brian go limp under him.

Scarlett saw Brian choke out, slipping into unconsciousness under Reid's forearm.

She also noticed when instead of letting up, Spencer started to increase his grip.

 _Oh, God_ … Scarlett thought as she watched the man she loved locked in a blood lust.

"Hey…" she dropped to her knees in front of Reid, moving into his line of vision. "Reid… he's done… Let it go…"

When he didn't respond, she reached over, grasping his forearm with her hand. She felt his muscles clench tighter as his eyes met hers. The fury she saw in them had her worried.

"Stop…He's not worth it…" she said quietly.

"Come back to me, farm boy," she asked. "Please… I need you."

Reid's mouth closed in a flat line as he gripped tighter for an instant then released the man's neck, throwing him to the ground.

He stood quickly, stepping back from Brian's limp body, as Morgan and Cooper moved forward to push Brian over.

"He touched you," Spencer growled, his adrenaline still pumping. "He was going to hurt you…"

"I want him dead…" he told her, his eyes locking on to hers.

Scarlett laid her hand on his arm, backing him up a few more steps, keeping in his line of vision so he would only see her.

"All the way back, boy," she spoke softly, talking him down from the rage. She noticed his hands shake slightly as the adrenaline worked its way through his system.

"Let it go, Spencer… I need you to let it go," she asked him gently, taking his hand in hers.

Reid felt her hands in his, tugging him back from the red haze that covered his vision. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, tucking her against his chest.

Scarlett felt his heart hammering in his chest as his words echoed under her ear.

"I wanted him dead…"

"I know," she said, rubbing his back. "But you stopped… you stayed with me…"

He closed his eyes, holding her tighter, needing her close. Scarlett felt him tremble slightly and ran her hands up his shoulders, pulling him against her.

Reid heard Morgan call out a warning even as he heard the report from the weapon. He pulled Scarlett under him as they hit the ground. The sounds of gunfire echoed off the walls of the small warehouse.

Scarlett felt Spencer's weight land hard on top of her, fighting off the sensation of déjà vu as her memory wanted to take her back to her past. She held on to him even as she looked over his shoulder to see blood staining red over a white shirt…

" _John_!" she screamed.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Scarlett sat in the chair of the waiting room, her legs curled up under her, chewing nervously at her thumb. Whenever the doors opened to the ER her head snapped up to attention, waiting desperately for some news. She felt the tears pricking at her eyes again and swiped at them angrily.

Penelope reached over and pulled her hand back, squeezing it tightly.

"Are you okay, honey?" she asked as she offered her friend a brief smile, watching her eyes to make sure Scarlett was still with them.

"I'm okay Pens," she spoke softly, but her eyes were clear and held to Penelope's. "Really… I'm holding up-" her voice cut off when the doors opened again and another doctor came out.

"Mrs. Reid?" he called to the waiting room and Scarlett jumped up from the chair.

She waved over toward Derek and Spencer to get their attention at the information desk, where they were trying to find out any news...

She needed him beside her.

"I'm Mrs. Reid- How is John?" she asked the doctor quickly.

"Detective Cooper is fine- the surgery went very well," he told her. Scarlett felt Reid's arm wrap around her waist as her knees went weak.

"The bullet hit his shoulder, there is some damage to the bone, but it came out cleanly and nothing vital was damaged. He'll need some therapy, but he should recover completely…"

"Thank you, Doctor," Morgan clasped the man's hand in his grip.

The doctor nodded. "I'm glad I had good news… a bit further towards the spine, and the outcome could have been much worse," he smiled at the agents.

"Can we see him? Now?" Scarlett asked. "Please?" her eyes begging him. Spencer tucked her under his arm as she shook with nerves.

"Yes, of course… he's awake, and actually insisting on leaving…" the man told her. He looked over her head to meet Spencer's eyes. "I would advise against it," he offered and Reid nodded.

"Let's go see if we can talk some sense into him," he told Scarlett, including Morgan and Penelope in his gaze. "Maybe if all of us gang up on him…" he grinned slightly.

Morgan laughed. "Yeah, _maybe_ ," he agreed, knowing his friend.

Scarlett followed the doctor back into the surgical recovery suite. When she saw Cooper, sitting on the side of the bed, she launched herself towards him.

Spencer cringed as he saw her jump into their friend's arms and John winced slightly.

"Easy now, Red Bird- I got a bum wing here…" Cooper teased, holding her with his good arm.

Scarlett wrapped her arms over his neck, tucking her face into his un-bandaged shoulder.

"Shut-up," she told him, her voice husky with emotion. "Just shut up, you big dumb ape…" she warned him as tears threatened her once again. "You scared me," she sobbed softly.

Reid saw her shake slightly in Cooper's arms and knew she was crying. John shifted her slightly, hitching her up as if she were a child, and looked uncomfortable. His bicep and forearm almost completely shielded her from the others' view.

Cooper whispered something in her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple. Spencer averted his eyes, not wanting to read the words on the other man's lips. A slight feeling of jealousy worked its way into his brain but he quickly quelled it with the memory of John moving into the line of fire, saving them from the bullet Brian had sent in their direction.

Spencer knew the moment when he first saw the wound in Coop's back, that at that trajectory, Brian had aimed for the back of his own head.

"I'm not done being mad at you," Scarlett was telling the larger man with a scowl, even as she wiped the tears off her face.

"Ah geez Scarlett, what's a guy gotta do to get off your shit list?" Cooper teased, tweaking her chin as he wiped another tear off her cheek.

"How about not jumping in front of bullets anymore, Superman," she tossed back. "That might help…"

"Nah," he winked down at her, glancing towards Reid and giving him a quick grin. "It was a good trade… all I got was light duty for a while and some pt…" he stated, looking down at the white bandages covering his left shoulder.

"Besides, I get to hold you for a few minutes without your husband complaining," he teased Spencer. "I might even touch your butt…" he said snarkily.

"No," Spencer said lightly, a smile working its way onto his face. "You didn't lose your arm… yet…" he joked back, grinning at Coop.

Cooper laughed, giving Scarlett another quick hug before pushing her off his lap to stand up.

"I'm getting the hell outta this place. I want a bar, a beer and some music," he stated, grabbing his shirt back from the bed where he'd dropped it when Scarlett had bounced him.

"I at least want a dance with you after this," he looked down at her. Scarlett tapped her foot and crossed her arms.

"Still mad…" she reminded him, rolling her eyes at his struggle to get into the shirt. She heaved a sigh, giving up and helping him. She knew John Cooper well enough to realize he wasn't going to stay in the hospital tonight, if he had a choice.

"What bar?" she asked, humoring him, while tugging the shirt up as high as she could onto his bad shoulder.

His blood stained the back of it, making her catch her breath at the sight.

Another few inches… she could have lost one of her best friends. Another few inches the other way, she could've lost Reid. A sob choked in her throat and she felt Spencer's hands on her shoulders, rubbing lightly.

Cooper caught Spencer's eye and shook his head lightly. He didn't know what to do with her while she was like this…

"I never knew you were such a weepy chick, Red," he teased her, tugging at her hair.

Scarlett stiffened at his words, reaching up to hold Spencer's hands. She leaned back into him, taking his support gratefully.

"Well, don't make a habit of getting shot, you ass, so you don't have to put up with my girlie ways," she scoffed. Getting a tighter rein on her emotions, she scowled up at Cooper.

"Ah, there's the face I know and love…" Coop chuckled.

"Fuck off," she snapped at him, without adding real heat to the insult. She stepped back up to him, looking up into his face.

"Back at'cha Angel," Cooper grinned brightly, much more comfortable with snarky Scarlett than the crying one.

Reid noticed the mask that she now held tightly in place and scowled slightly himself. She'd worked so hard to get used to dropping the façade, yet with one of her closest friends, she'd had to put it back in place. The idea didn't sit too well with him.

He opened his mouth to say something about it, but closed it at Penelope's quick shake of her head. Reid raised a brow towards her, and she just shook it again.

He scowled at her too, now.

"So what do ya think bro?" Cooper was now addressing Morgan. "You up to throwing a couple back?"

Morgan grunted and shook his head. "I think the doc said you weren't released yet. You going AMA?"

"That was the plan," Coop shrugged, throwing his good arm around Scarlett's shoulders as he walked towards the doors. Scarlett could feel him leaning a bit heavily on her.

"Are you going to stop me?" he asked his friend.

Scarlett interrupted the argument she knew was coming. Cooper wasn't going to stay, she knew that. If they left him here, he'd try to walk out on his own. And he wasn't in any shape to do that…

"How about we split the difference and just have a couple beers at your place?" she asked Cooper, throwing a meaningful glance over at Derek. Her brother's brows knit in concern for their friend, but after meeting her eyes, he sighed.

"You're riding with me," Morgan told Coop. "I'll take you home…"

"Pansies," he called them with a harmless grin. "Fine- I've got beer at home…"

Derek traded places with Scarlett when she signaled him to grab Cooper.

"Don't go anywhere Red," he stumbled a bit. "I'm not done with you yet…"

Morgan shifted his weight, feeling him pitch forward a little.

Spencer moved forward to catch Cooper's injured side, making sure he didn't hurt him but also keeping him from falling on the floor.

"Hey, Reid- when'd you get here?" Cooper grinned, slipping backwards a bit causing Morgan to lose his grip.

"What the hell did they give him?" Penelope asked, unable to stop the giggle that escaped her lips.

Scarlett shook her head. "Apparently the good stuff," she teased, moving in front of Cooper as he wrapped his arm around Derek's neck.

"Coop, come here big guy," she called him, leading him back towards the bed, before he fell down.

"Ah, Red, I don't think your husband would approve," he teased, looking over at Spencer with a drugged smile.

Reid felt the grin twitch at his lips. He looked over at Scarlett and saw her roll her eyes.

"I promise, Spence will be alright, stud," she laughed. "I think he trusts me to control myself…"

"Well, that's no fun," Cooper walked a few more heavy steps, bringing himself back to the bed. "Hey, weren't we leaving?" he groused, realizing he was still looking at the hospital walls.

"We did, we had a blast, and now you are going to lie down for a bit to sleep it off," she told him.

"Ohhhh. Okay," Coop laid his head back on the pillow. Scarlett laughed as he wrapped an arm around her, dragging her down on top of him.

"Alright, big guy… close your eyes. And listen to your damn doctors so I don't have to kick your ass," she warned him. Cooper patted her ass lightly.

"Eh, I'll stay I guess," he slurred. "Got to cop a feel out of it anyway," he grinned over as he pinched her lightly and Reid's eyes narrowed a bit at him.

"Yeah, yeah," Scarlett grabbed his hand, pinning it up behind his head so he'd stop roaming.

"Mmm-hmm," he told her, his voice getting husky with sleep. "You know I like it rough, Red Bird… And now you're gonna kiss me, and cause I'm your hero, right?" he asked.

Scarlett chuckled at his childish words and pressed her mouth to his lightly. "Yes, sweetie, you definitely are," she giggled as his eyes drifted closed.

"And you are soooo going to hate to hear me tease you about this tomorrow," she warned him, waiting a few more minutes as his breathing eased off into a deep sleep.

Sighing, she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart pound strong under her ear. When tears threatened to spill over once again, she felt Spencer's arms scoop her up off of Cooper, and she pressed her face into his neck, sobbing.

Reid scowled, holding her tighter until she reined it back in again. He kissed her temple, waiting for the worst to subside. She looked up to meet his eyes as he set her back to her feet.

And saw his frown.

"What?" she asked, wiping at her face.

Spencer shook off his resentment about Scarlett feeling like she had to hide her emotions to save face. It wasn't her fault that Cooper couldn't deal with that side of her.

Actually, it was Coop's loss, Reid thought as he held her in his arms. Scarlett was more, so much more than what she would show in public, and he was the lucky one, to be the one she chose to lean on. Penelope had realized that, he recognized now. She'd stopped him from saying anything to Cooper, because she'd known that Scarlett was okay with only dropping the mask for a select few… and he was grateful to be one of those few.

So, instead of explaining what had him upset, he opted to make a joke, to make her laugh.

"He touched your butt," he said snarkily, kissing her forehead. Scarlett laughed out loud, shaking her head.

"Jesus, Reid, you are something else," she wiped at her face again, disbelief on her features, laughter now filling her eyes instead of tears.

"Let's leave sleeping beauty get his rest and go the hell home," he told her, catching her under his arm, pulling her close again.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Scarlett snuggled up against Spencer's chest, sitting on the couch in her mother's living room and relaxing with a glass of wine. It had been a hectic evening, telling Norie and Fran everything, explained what had happened and that everyone was alright, rehashing the events that led up until then…

Leaving out some details, for the benefit of the others, of course.

She'd taken Noreen up to bed just a little while ago, sitting with her until she finally fell asleep and then joined the others back downstairs to unwind for herself. She could still feel her nerves snapping.

"I don't know what would have happened if Cooper had actually made it out the doors," Penelope commented, looking over at Scarlett. "I'm glad he didn't try on his own…"

Scarlett shook her head. "That's why I was stalling… he told me they'd given him Haloperidol- I figured if we kept him close enough he'd drop eventually…"

"When did you find that out?" Spencer looked down at her.

"He told me," Scarlett met his eyes. "If you hadn't been worried about what he was saying to me…" she poked him in the ribs, teasing him, letting him know she'd seen him look away when Cooper had whispered to her.

"… you would have read his lips and seen he said not to worry, he wasn't in any pain, cuz they'd given him the highest dose of Haloperidol they could…"

Spencer frowned a little. "I guess I thought he was saying something else," he blushed slightly.

"Yeah, I kinda figured," she stretched out her legs, leaning back into his arms. "My sweet, insecure farm boy," Scarlett wrinkled her nose up at him and he leaned over to kiss the furrow in her brow.

"Well, kids… I'm beat," Frannie stood up, taking the empty wine bottle with her. "I don't know how any of you are even still awake, since I'm tired just from hearing about it."

She leaned over to Derek, getting a kiss from him and squeezing his shoulder. She kissed Penny's forehead quickly, turning back to where Scarlett and Reid were already standing.

"I'll clean this up, Mama," Scarlett took the glasses from her, reaching over for a hug. Frannie closed her eyes, hugging Scarlett tightly.

"Get some sleep," Frannie warned her with her 'no argument' look. She reached over and took Spencer's hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

Spencer saw her give Scarlett another hug as she mouthed the words 'thank you' to him. She'd recognized some of the details had been missing from their story but knew that in the heat of everything, Reid had protected Scarlett with his life.

Tears formed in her eyes as she turned away, heading up the stairs.

"She knows," Scarlett said with a slight frown. "She knows we downplayed it…"

Morgan nodded. "Of course she does. She's Mom," he shrugged.

Scarlett blew out a tense breath, her nerves still jittering.

"C'mon, crazy girl," Spencer picked up the rest of the dirty dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. "Let's finish this up and check on our daughter."

Scarlett followed him up, stopping with him as he pushed open Norie's door to look in on her. Both cats were snuggled at the foot of the bed, sleeping with her.

"Sometimes," Scarlett said quietly, "when I see moments like this, I wonder if I'm dreaming," she told him. "I'm afraid I'll wake up, and none of this will be real…"

"It's quite real," he whispered against her ear, kissing her hair.

Scarlett sighed, pulling him into the bedroom they were sharing. She shut the door behind him, reaching up to link her arms around his neck to kiss him.

Spencer returned the kiss with fervor, the events of the past days finally catching up to him. Scarlett pulled back a little, looking up at him…

She sucked in a breath, seeing so much there- fear, worry, anger, relief and love all sweeping through him as he watched her with those gorgeous hazel eyes…

"Spence…" she said quietly, backing up against the wall as he pinned her there.

"Spencer…" she tried again, seeing a gleam in his eye. He traced a finger down the side of her jaw where the bruise still stood out on her pale skin. "Don't…" she told him.

"It's okay… I'm alright…" she reminded him.

"He's dead," Reid said flatly.

Scarlett could still see in her mind's eye, the look on his face when she'd pulled away from him at the warehouse… the deadly stare in his eyes, his revolver still smoking from the bullet he'd delivered into Brian's forehead.

She touched his cheek now, gently, stroking his tightened jaw with her fingers.

"Yes…" she agreed. "He won't ever hurt anyone again…"

"I should have killed him from the start," he ground out, still touching the bruise. Scarlett sighed, moving her fingers to capture his hand in hers.

"No."

His eyes narrowed slightly at her words. "How could you say…"

Scarlett shook her head. "No," she repeated. "You are better than that. You are better than he was- you wouldn't kill an unarmed man…"

"He could've killed Cooper, because _I_ let him live…" he snapped.

"He didn't… Spencer, please," she begged him not to keep thinking over the 'what-ifs'…

He heard her voice tremble slightly as she spoke, her lips meeting his lightly.

"God, Spencer…" tears choked at her throat, threatening their way out again. "He was aiming for you," she felt herself tremble. "If you are going to worry about what might have happened, then I…"

He wrapped his arms around her, settling her ear over his heart.

"You're right," he told her gruffly. "It's over… we can't keep re-living different outcomes," he breathed the words against her hair, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. "It's over…" he repeated, "and it worked out the way it did. Nothing changes that…"

Scarlett nodded against his chest, feeling her nerves shake through her body once again. She pulled back a little, looking up into his face.

"I still need to burn off some of this tension," she told him, a slight frown marring her brow. Spencer nodded, tracing the lines with his thumb.

"You want to run…" he stated instead of asking. Scarlett gave him half a smile, shaking her head.

"How do you know me so well?" she asked.

"I'm one of the lucky ones," he told her, kissing her forehead. "Besides, I could use a run too," he offered, stepping away to open a drawer. He tossed some clothes over towards her.

Scarlett caught them one handed, staring at his back. When he stripped off his shirt, she moved behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing a kiss to the center of his spine. She could feel the tension playing through his muscles as it did in her own.

"I'm the lucky one…" she told him, waiting as he turned around. "You understand me…" she said to his face.

Spencer kissed her nose, stroking his finger down her cheek. "You understand me too," he said softly. "That makes us both lucky," he concluded.

"Now get dressed and let's go for that run before it gets any later…" he told her, pulling his own t-shirt over his head and throwing a quick glance at the clock. It was already late.

Scarlett moved to put on her own jogging clothes, turning her back to Spencer. He caught the sight of the bruise on her shoulder blade and winced.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, reaching over to touch her back lightly.

"What?" Scarlett turned slightly as she slipped into her sports bra, catching her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh…" she eyed up the purple bruise with a scowl. "No, farm boy. It doesn't hurt. The doctor took care of it just fine," she answered, rolling her shoulder to prove it to him.

"I'm fine…"

Turning her to face him, Reid checked over the rest of her body as she sighed.

"Spence…" she reprimanded him a bit as he frowned over the bruises on her chest. He noted the finger print pattern as she tugged her shirt over her head.

"I thought we were going to run?" she asked, watching his eyes darken in fury.

"Where else did he touch you," Spencer ground out.

Instead of answering she pulled the side of her jogging pants down over her hip, showing him a bite mark, knowing he'd see it later.

"That's it, boy. And he won't ever touch me again," she reminded him as his eyes narrowed.

"It doesn't make me any happier that he was able to do it the first time," he growled, moving her hand as she tried to cover the mark. He traced the bruise with his thumb, wishing he could remove it.

"It will fade…" she told him softly, nudging against him, trading his gaze from her hip to her eyes. "You stopped him from doing any worse, ever again."

Spencer saw the pleading look in her eyes and decided to drop the subject of Brian. He was wasting time thinking about someone who didn't deserve the attention. Scrubbing at his face, he let out a tense breath, taking Scarlett by the hand and leading her out of the room.

When they met up with Penny on the stairs, Scarlett told her they were going to get in a run.

"Can you keep an ear out for Norie, in case she wakes up? I don't think she'll have nightmares, but I'm not sure…"

"No problem, my sweets. Auntie Penny will send you a text if she needs you," Penelope nodded. "Go blow off your steam," she ordered.

Scarlett followed Spencer out the front door, locking it behind her and tucking the key into her inside pocket.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Okay, boy- if we go this way, the houses thin out and the incline steepens for more of a work out," she told him, easily remembering the streets of her youth. "The other way is flat, but heads into the town…"

"Let's go with the incline," Reid nodded to the left. "I'd rather push myself than head into town."

"Right," she grinned, plugging her earphones in and adjusting them so she'd still hear the sounds around her. Spencer tucked his phone into his armband and hooked his cord up also.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yep- speed or distance?" she offered.

"You going to keep up?" he teased, stretching his hamstrings.

"Speed it is," Scarlett laughed, accepting his challenge, starting off with a head start.

Spencer watched her move quickly up the quiet street, waiting for her to get a bit of a lead before joining her.

About a half mile into her run, she felt Spencer at her back. He ran like a freaking gazelle, she complained to herself, pushing harder to outpace him. When he pulled ahead of her with easy strides, she blamed the length of his legs as her downfall. She noticed that he slowed his stride a little, keeping her close- which pissed her off- so she pushed herself harder.

Heading into the second mile, she could feel the burn begin to work its way into her muscles, helping to settle her stressed nerves. She even stopped scowling at Reid's back long enough to appreciate the view of his ass…

 _Hmm_.

Spencer hit the three mile point and started thinking about turning back to the house. He ran into the little suburb's public park situated under some street lights when she finally caught up with him.

He felt her hands reach for his shoulders and braced himself as she hopped up onto his hips.

"A little warning, crazy girl," he reminded her with a laugh as he hooked his hands under her ass.

Scarlett breathed heavily against his neck, biting the cord that ran along throat.

"Jesus, Katy," he sucked in his breath as his knees went weak at the sensation, trying not to drop her. He carried her over towards one of the benches, sitting down hard as she scrambled to kneel over him.

When she latched her mouth against his with a passionate heat, he heard a strangled cry come from his own throat.

Moving against him roughly, Scarlett grasped his hair into her hands, yanking his head back to meet his eyes.

"If you've got any protests about fucking in public, you'd better say the safe word right now, boy…" she warned him, her eyes glittering fiercely.

Spencer stared at her, in open-mouthed shock; until she started tugging at the strings of his jogging pants.

"Mercy," he squeaked, grabbing at her hands. "Holy shit… Mercy- Scarlett, Jesus…" he held her hands off of him as she panted heavily against him.

She growled lowly, pressing her face into his neck again, as she tried to rein in her lust. The heady scent of his sweat from the run coupled with the sound of his breath panting only fueled her further. She pushed against him, grinding her core to his, while her mouth rained kisses along his throat.

"Wh-what the hell is this about? Please, stop…" he begged her, as she pressed against him, trying to steel himself against the effects of her riding his lap so intimately. He groaned when she arched against him and his groin tightened. The blood was quickly rushing from his head, making it harder to argue against her insistence…

"It's about me staring at your very fine ass for the last mile, Reid," she stated, breathing in deeply, memorizing his scent. Scarlett felt his erection pressing between her legs and her hips bucked.

He blew out a breath, letting loose a sound somewhere in between a whine and a laugh.

"My ass is still the same as ever, and we've managed so far to avoid getting a public indecency charge," he teased, clasping her hands in between their chests, nipping lightly at her lips as he slid her off his lap.

"Prude," she called him teasingly, keeping her legs linked over his knees. He met her eyes, seeing the lust still burning there, but she stayed at his side instead of on top of him.

"Probably something like that," he pressed a kiss to her knuckles as she frowned. "Sorry," he apologized, giving her puppy dog eyes. "I just… I'm not comfortable with…"

Scarlett rolled her eyes at his apology and nudged him with her shoulder. "Hush-I know, farm boy… That's the reasoning behind the safe word," she winked at him, giving a slight smile. "No apologies, no reasoning needed… it's just 'no'," she reminded him.

"Besides- you're going to be… very sorry… when we get back and you remember the damn bed squeaks…" she added.

Spencer sighed heavily, closed his eyes and bumped his head up against her forehead.

"I wonder if your mother would question us replacing the guest bed before out next trip out…" he said humorlessly.

Scarlett ran her hand up his thigh. "I could blame your legs… which are another thing that got me started…"

He raised a brow.

"You've got some really nice length of leg there boy… I'm allowed to notice, especially when you run…" she winked at him. "So I'll have a larger bed ordered and tell Mama it's because you're too tall," she grinned.

"If you'd think that would work," Spencer stretched his legs out from the park bench.

"She wouldn't ask, regardless. But it's a good cover," she offered, squeezing his knee.

"So, what was our time out," she asked, standing up and pulling him beside her.

"Twenty nine twenty… three miles," he told her.

"Right- let's see if we can shave it down to under twenty eight," she winked at him. "Race you back to the shower… which doesn't squeak…"

"Uh-huh," Spencer took her hand, tugging her close for a quick kiss. "Bathtub doesn't squeak either, since you seemed to favor the straddling position a few moments ago," he stated lightly as he nipped at her lips.

"Scarlett," he called her name as she began to pull away from his hand, catching her eyes.

"For the record though- I don't 'fuck' with you," he said darkly. "If we ever do anything, uh, in a park or something, I mean… I still won't be _fucking_ you…" he blushed.

"I'll remember, boy," Scarlett turned, running her fingers down his chest. "I didn't think you'd like that term for anything between us," she gave him a sultry smile.

"That's why I used it; I figured it might get you to talk me down…" she shrugged slightly, turning away to start to run back.

"After all," she tossed back over her shoulder, "there _are_ cameras around…"

Spencer blushed hotter as he looked towards the lamppost she'd indicated with her wave.

"Really? Scarlett…" he called after her, moving quickly to catch up beside her.

"What if I hadn't talked you down?" he puffed out the question when he caught up to her.

Scarlett gave him an evil grin.

"It wouldn't have been my first indecent exposure, farm boy…" she winked, pushing her speed faster to pull away from his side.

He stopped running, almost tripping over his own feet. "Wait… what? What? Scarlett…"

Spencer heard her laughter as she kept running ahead.

"With who?" he yelled out to her, running to catch up.

Scarlett pushed herself to stay ahead of him, ignoring his question to let that thought side track him from the fact she was keeping the lead. The last quarter mile back to the house, he pulled ahead of her, swinging past at her scowl.

"You won't trick me into winning, Katy Scarlett," he warned her, out of breath but still beating her to the porch in over a length.

Spencer sat down, panting. He'd made it look easier than it had been. She was getting faster.

"Shake it out, farm boy," she warned. "You'll get a cramp…"

Reid stood, stretching his muscles as he did, feeling the trembling in his calves already.

"I almost won…" she grinned as she pulled her foot up towards her hip.

"Almost doesn't count, crazy girl," he returned her smile, reaching over to nab her hips, pulling her to sit down on the steps beside him while he caught his breath. Scarlett leaned her head against his shoulder, looking up at the night sky.

"So are you going to tell me or let my imagination keep playing scenarios over and over," he asked, catching the small smile that played on her lips out of the corner of his eye.

"Your imagination is much worse than it should be, for a prude…" she teased.

"Right," he scowled slightly, not liking the pictures in his head. He was thinking of what had almost happened in the park between them, but instead of her with him, it was someone else.

"Mmm-hmm- I can see it in your eyes, Spencer Reid…" she giggled when he turned his narrowed gaze towards her.

"Jealous much?" she played a bit with the fire she saw in his eyes.

"Jealous a lot," he growled lowly, nudging her over until he had her cornered. "You are a brat…"

Scarlett laughed throatily, the sound adding fuel to the heat in his blood. She saw his eyes darken and his hands moved to grasp her hips.

"It's a good memory boy," she told him finally, her lips reaching up to catch his lightly. "I was caught in a swimming hole with a bunch of friends. We were skinny dipping. All of our parents got slapped with citations and we had to do community service… but it wasn't anything like what was going through your mind my dear, or nearly half as interesting…" she joked, biting his bottom lip.

Spencer captured her mouth under his, realizing she'd let him play out the images in his mind to work himself up like that.

"You are dangerous to my sanity," he told her, scooping her up off the porch and heading towards the door.

Scarlett unlocked the door while he held her, carrying her upstairs and dumping her unceremoniously onto the squeaky bed. She laughed as he glared at her.

"You couldn't ever say I bore you," she told him, dragging him down on top of her.

"Christ no," he agreed, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "But you still didn't win," he reminded her. "Even with your evil distraction…" he nipped lightly at her throat, enjoying the sound of the purr that it brought from her.

"Actually," she grinned, tugging at his hair once again to pull his eyes to hers. "My evil plan was to have you thinking dirty thoughts the whole way home… so I think I did win…"

She giggled as he swatted at her ass while she moved off the bed into the adjoining bathroom. She heard him groan loudly from behind her.

"You are killing me, Scarlett…"

"Hmm…" she stuck her head back through the door, crooking her finger towards him as the water ran in the tub. "No, not yet. I'm not quite done with you yet," she told him, sending him a heated look.

"Ah, God," he half complained, pulling himself off of the annoyingly loud bed, following her into the smaller room.

His heart stuttered in his chest as he watched her undress.

"You going to stand there and watch, boy?" she asked him as she slipped out of her clothes. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the longing burning in his eyes.

"Maybe I will," he said as he picked her up. Scarlett laughed as he set her into the bath, leaning over her to grab the soap.

"Aren't you going to join me?" she asked as he knelt beside the tub.

"No," he breathed out the word as he worked lather into the cloth and started soaping up her body.

Scarlett leaned her head back against his arm that he'd wrapped around her shoulders. She watched his eyes as his gaze followed his other hand, touching her breasts, covering them with soap. He lowered her shoulders under the water, rinsing them and brought her nipple up to his mouth.

Moaning softly, Scarlett threaded her fingers into his hair, holding him closer as her body tightened in response to his attention. She felt the smile that twitched his lips as they moved across her sensitive skin.

Brushing his unshaven cheek over her taut nipple, he moved to the other breast, enjoying hearing her breathing become uneven. When her hips arched against his hand, he slid the soapy cloth over her thighs, stroking her center lightly with his thumb.

When she arched her hips against his hand, moaning loudly, he covered the sound with his mouth, holding her as she came against his hand.

Spencer kissed her deeply, keeping her close as she whimpered against his mouth.

"God I love that sound," he growled lowly, looking down into her face as she opened her eyes heavily.

"Mmm," she mumbled, pulling him closer for another kiss. Seeing his self-satisfied grin, Scarlett felt her heart trip against her chest.

"You look smug, Dr. Reid," she smiled up at him, stretching out in the water.

Spencer kissed her lips, teasing her tongue with his until she opened up fully to him.

"And you look content, Mrs. Reid," he told her when he pulled back, his eyes smiling down at her. She reached up with a wet hand and traced at the lines that wrinkled in the corners of them.

"I am, quite, thank you very much," she replied glibly, her own smile lighting her eyes in mischief. She wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him forward towards the water.

Spencer let her pull him into the tub, clothing and all. His wet shirt clung to his chest and he could feel her breasts press against him.

"There is an easier way to do this, crazy girl," he laughed as her fingers loosened the knot on his jogging pants.

"Mmm-hmm," she agreed as she pressed her lips against his. "Probably… but I just don't care," she giggled as she linked her legs around his hips.

Careful to not splash water over the side of the tub, Spencer shoved at the sopping wet material and switched places with her. He groaned as she straddled him, finally making the contact that his body was yearning for since she'd started this at the park…

"Don't…" he sucked in a tense breath, holding it as she rode him slowly, rippling the water on the side of the tub. "Don't flood the bathroom," he warned her.

She reached back to open the drain, letting some of the water out. The movement pressed her closer and she felt him tense under her as his fingers dug into her hips.

"Hmm, you like that, don't ya, boy," she grinned down at him evilly.

"Just… ah," he pulled himself forward, pushing her up with his knees against her back. "Yeah…" he groaned as she leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers.

"How much?" she asked, rocking again, sloshing the water around them.

When he didn't answer, bowing back under her instead, she continued the movement, bringing him over the edge. Scarlett watched him bite his lips together tightly to silence himself.

She laughed as he sank under the water and opened his eyes to look up at her.

"The soap's going to burn your eyes, sweetie," she teased, brushing the water off his face as he broke the surface.

"I'm fine…" he blinked a few times to clear his vision and shook out his hair.

Scarlett reached over, brushing the wet locks off his forehead and leaned over to kiss his brow.

"You are a nut," she laughed as he nuzzled some light kisses against her neck, cuddling her close to his heart. Settling against him for a moment, she listened to the familiar thrum under her ear.

Spencer felt her relax against him and noticed the gooseflesh on her arms.

"Let's get dried off," he nudged her, afraid she was falling asleep.

"Mmm, I want to stay, right here," she complained, yawning hugely.

"Right," he chuckled. "Let's not," he pushed her up, lifted her out of the tub, despite her objections. Setting her on her feet, he shucked out of his wet clothes, deciding to deal with them later.

Taking one of the large bath sheets, Scarlett wrapped herself up then pulled another over Reid's shoulders. She scuffed her way back into the bedroom, dropping onto the bed with a sigh.

Spencer found her that way, face down, still wrapped in the towel, lying across the bed. Her hair was still wet and tangled, dripping onto the blankets.

He chuckled softly, grabbed another towel and her hairbrush from the bathroom and sat down beside her. When she only muttered something incoherently as he moved her, he shook his head, tugging her across his lap in her sleep.

He worked the worst of the tangles from her curls, wringing out what he could with the towel until it was mostly dry. Grabbing one of his clean t-shirts from his drawer, he pulled it over her head, and then he curled up alongside of her, tucking her in against his heart.

"I love you, Spence," she mumbled, cuddling into the vee of arm and kissing his shoulder.

"As I love you, my darling…" he whispered, kissing her temple.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Spencer woke up from his light sleep when he felt Scarlett move at his side. She whimpered, tossing against the sheets, shoving at them as if they were holding her.

He sat up in the bed, knowing he'd been expecting this, although he'd hoped she'd been too tired for nightmares.

"Scarlett," he reached out to touch her shoulder, and she jumped away from his hands. Her wide-eyed blank stare had him pulling himself out of the bed, carefully; trying to get close enough to hold her if she tried to run.

"It's okay, crazy girl…" he reminded her softly. "Listen to my voice. I'm right here with you. You are alright, everything is fine… you're in your mother's guest room…"

She looked around the room, confused, as if she were seeing something other than what he was telling her. But she was listening, so he kept talking.

"What do you see, Scarlett? Can you focus on the room? You're still here, with me…"

Scarlett shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm in the warehouse… it's so loud… the gunshots… blood everywhere…"

Reid swallowed the lump in his throat. "The blood was Brian's, remember? He tried to hurt you- he shot Cooper, but John's alright- we went to the hospital…"

"Brian's dead…" she looked around the room quickly, as if expecting the ghost to grab her. "He took us- Cooper and I- but you came…" she looked at Spencer now, meeting his eyes.

"You came, and the others… I knew you'd find us…"

"Always, Scarlett… I'll always come…"

Her body trembled violently; nerves and adrenaline mixing in her blood causing her to shake uncontrollably. Reid moved a few steps closer, wanting to hold her, but she backed up.

"No, no…" she threw up her hands in front of her and he stopped dead.

"Scarlett- I just want to hold you… you're cold…"

"No… don't touch me… please," she begged him. "I don't want you touching me…"

"Scarlett- look at me…" he moved back into her line of sight. "It's me, crazy girl…"

"Norie…" Scarlett said, looking past Spencer towards the door… "Where's Norie?" she asked, shaking again. "He- he said he would take her, too… like the others…"

Spencer blocked the door with his body as she tried to push through him.

"She's fine- Scarlett, our daughter is fine, she's sleeping… You tucked her in, we checked on her- remember?" he held her now, keeping her tucked against him tightly.

"He said… Brian said… He was at the restaurant, watching us- after Norie's play… He was going to grab her, too…" Scarlett felt her chest tighten, her breath catching in her throat.

"He's dead, Scarlett. I killed him…" Spencer ground out, wishing he could do it all over again, hearing what Brian had said about Noreen.

"He's never going to touch our girl… Never…" he promised, taking her chin in his hand and lifting her eyes to his.

Scarlett stared into his eyes, holding his gaze, looking for the truth in them.

"Brian is dead," she repeated, the memory of seeing it jolting her out of her flashback. "It's over…"

"It's over," he swore, seeing her eyes change as she came back into the present.

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing against him.

"Oh, God, Spence…" she cried, the thoughts of what might have happened if Brian had chosen to take Norie that night, instead of waiting for her, hit full force.

"It's okay, baby," he held her tighter, letting the tears come, releasing her from the nightmare. "It's okay, nothing happened to Norie. She's safe, you are safe…"

Scarlett stayed locked in his arms, feeling the relief hit her like a tidal wave. "I wanted to kill him," she told him. "For even mentioning her name to me, I wanted him dead…"

"He is… Scarlett, he can't hurt anyone ever again…"

"He wanted to hurt you- to kill you, too…" she hugged him closer.

Spencer pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "He didn't… he'll never have the chance to try…"

"No. You're right," Scarlett shivered against him once again, and he nudged her back, heading over to a drawer and pulling out a sweater. Turning back to her, he zippered her up inside his favorite cowichan, the one she'd ended up stealing from him more often than not.

She snuggled in against the warmth of the 'too-big-for-her' sweater, letting his scent surround her, and sighed.

"I want to see Norie," she told him, looking up to meet his eyes. "I need to check on her for myself."

Spencer nodded, keeping his gaze locked onto hers, seeing the clear green watching him just as closely. Taking her by the hand, he led her across the hall. Norie's door was opened; Scarlett looked in and jolted slightly when she saw her bed was empty.

"She sleeps as badly as you do," he reminded her, not wanting her to worry. "She's probably downstairs reading.

"I know… I still need to see her…"

"Of course," Spencer agreed, already heading to the staircase. She followed him down into the living room, scowling a little when she didn't see Noreen on the couch.

Reid grabbed her hand, tugging her into the kitchen where Norie was sitting at the table. He visibly saw Scarlett release the breath she'd been holding.

Scarlett felt the weight drop from her heart when she looked at her sister, reading a book and eating some cereal.

"Hey, little one," Scarlett moved over towards her, tugging at Norie's braid. "What's got you up and about so early?" she asked, looking at the window where dawn was just beginning to brighten the sky.

Norie shrugged slightly, looking between Spencer and Scarlett. "Bad dreams," she scowled a bit at her breakfast. "I guess they got you too?" she asked, eyeing up Spencer's sweater. She knew that was a comfort move for her…

Scarlett reached over and took Norie's hand. "Yeah," she responded, sitting down in the chair beside her and hugging her close. "I guess it was a bad night for both of us…"

"I gave up trying to sleep," Noreen admitted. "I came down here, did some yoga like you tried to show me… then I still couldn't stop thinking of stuff- so I just decided to read…"

"You could have come to us," Spencer told her, taking the chair closer to her side. "We'd have listened…"

"I know," Norie shook her head, laying it against Scarlett's shoulder. "I figured you needed your sleep too, though…"

Spencer gave her small hand a squeeze. "I don't want you worrying about that, Norie… if you need us, anytime, for any reason, you can come to us… understood?"

Norie nodded, still staying in the protective hug of Scarlett's arms. "I just kept having nightmares… about what happened… I know everyone is alright, but when I was asleep, I couldn't stop from dreaming about bad stuff…"

"I know," Scarlett agreed. "I had the same problem," she told her. "But I had Daddy with me… you should have come woke us up…"

"I will, if it happens again," she looked up at Scarlett. "I'm still tired… so if I fall asleep on the couch, will you stay with me now?" she asked, blushing slightly.

"Of course, baby," Scarlett kissed her hair, pulling her up to stand beside her. "Come on- I could use a few more minutes of sleep myself…"

Spencer cleared off the table and picked up the discarded book, then headed into the living room after them. He saw the two of them curled up together on the couch, and sat beside Scarlett when she shifted a bit to make room for him.

"She's already out," she told him quietly. "I don't think she slept at all," she worried.

He grunted in agreement, moving a bit so Scarlett's head rested against his shoulder. "Neither did you," he said, watching as her eyes closed.

"Get some sleep," he offered. "I'll watch for both of you…"

Scarlett thought to argue that he hadn't slept either, but the words wouldn't form as exhaustion claimed her.

Reid rested his head back against the couch, holding them both in his arms. His hands stroked lightly across their hair, reassuring himself that they were safe and sleeping well.

Frannie found him staring out the front window when she'd come downstairs herself a few hours later.

"Rough night?" she asked him quietly, not to disturb the girls, when his eyes met hers.

"Yeah," he nodded, speaking in a whisper. "They both had nightmares…"

Fran sighed. "I was afraid of that," she admitted, looking down at the two redheads snuggled up against his chest. She moved a little closer, touching each of them for herself.

"You're a wonderful man, Spencer," she told him, leaning over to kiss his forehead lightly while he was pinned under the weight of the daughters of her heart. He blushed at the praise and affection.

"Maybe you should close your eyes for a little while too," she mentioned. "I'm going to start my day, so I'll keep an ear out if they wake up."

Laying his head back against the couch once more, Spencer finally closed his eyes.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Hey, pretty Ricky- you gonna sleep the whole day?"

Spencer heard Morgan's voice very close to his ear and jumped up from the couch, startled.

"Uncle Derek- Mom said leave Dad alone…" he heard Norie's voice from the kitchen. "She going to kick your a-"

"Butt- little one," Scarlett hollered over Norie's words, coming down the stairs. "D- seriously, I am going to kill you," she scowled, seeing that he had woken Reid up.

Morgan grinned down at where Spencer was scrubbing at his face. "You didn't want to sleep anymore," he told his friend. "Cooper's on his way over… said he wants to talk to you about something."

"What?" Spencer mumbled his brain still foggy from sleep. He shook his head to try to clear it.

"What could Coop want to talk to Spencer about?" Scarlett asked at the same time.

"I dunno- just repeating what he texted me…" Morgan shrugged, tapping Reid in the forehead and receiving a scowl from him. "I didn't think you'd want to talk standing around in your pj bottoms at two in the afternoon…" he grinned.

"Cooper shouldn't be out of the hospital yet," Reid said as he whipped his head around to the clock at the same moment. "Wait- what time is it?"

Morgan laughed. "Two, kid- you've been crashed out on the couch almost all afternoon."

He looked over at Scarlett. "I didn't mean to sleep that long," he told her. "Why didn't you wake me up when you got up?"

She crossed over to the couch to sit on his lap. "Because you needed to get some rest, too, boy," she told him, kissing him lightly. "So we let you sleep…"

Norie stood in dining area, setting out some plates. "It was our fault you didn't sleep anyway," she added, looking over at the two of them. "Besides, Mama made a late brunch instead of breakfast, so there wasn't any reason for you to get up before now."

"Right… okay," Reid scrubbed at his face again, still feeling out of sorts. "I better go get dressed…" he shifted Scarlett over to the couch, heading upstairs to dress.

When he entered the bathroom, he saw Scarlett had already cleaned up the mess he'd left last night, his wet clothes were gone and the towels were neatly hung. His toiletries were set out on the countertop, arranged alongside of hers.

He heard the bedroom door open, looking out as Scarlett entered, carrying some clean sheets. She caught his eye as she crossed the room.

"This is why it's not recommended to go to bed with wet hair," she told him, indicating the wet stain across the dirty linens. "I'm going to thank you for at least getting the tangles out…"

She shook her hair out over her shoulder, looking back at him as she stripped the bed.

"Uh huh… I enjoyed it…" Spencer grinned around his toothbrush and winked at her. He turned back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"What do you think Cooper wants?" she asked him curiously.

"I really have no idea," he shook his head as he crossed the room to the small dresser they were sharing on their visit. He picked up his head when he heard the sound of a deep rumble of a motorcycle coming up the drive.

"I think we are about to find out," he said as he looked out the window. Cooper pulled up and cut off the engine in front of the house.

"Ugh- I _know_ that the doctor wouldn't have approved of him taking out Romeo yet," Scarlett complained. "He's going to wreck that shoulder!"

Spencer rolled his eyes. "I think going against doctor's orders is part of the reason he's doing it… poking the bear…"

Scarlett snorted out a laugh. "So you finally understand now?" she asked. "Cooper is his own worst enemy. And a stress to my sanity…"

She shoved the window open and yelled down at her friend.

"Don't expect me to come visit you in the hospital when you end up back in surgery again, Coop…" she hollered down at him. When he kept walking towards the porch with a grin and flipping her off, she shot the gesture back at him.

"Ass," she ground out, pulling back inside and slamming the window in a huff.

Spencer noticed the change in her demeanor as she headed down to meet up with Cooper. He followed behind her, wondering about what was causing it.

"I should just beat the crap out of you now, Coop, take you back to the hospital myself," she was saying to her friend as he joined them on the porch. Morgan grinned at his sister.

"I told you she'd be pissed, dude," Derek looked over, meeting Cooper's smile.

"When isn't she pissed off at one thing or another?" Coop chuckled. He lifted his shirt, pulling it up over his shoulders and turned his back to Scarlett.

"Go ahead, Red- I know you won't be happy until you check for yourself…" he said to her, exposing his wound.

Scarlett scanned over his back, seeing no blood on the gauze that covered it. Her fingers traced over Cooper's skin, lifting the bandages to check under them, and Spencer saw his muscles twitch under her hands.

He scowled slightly.

Reid's frown wasn't lost on Cooper, who filed a point under his column mentally. He turned back to Scarlett and winked at her.

"See? Everything is still in working order…" he told her, flexing his muscles under her gaze.

Scarlett shook her head. "You still shouldn't push your luck, Coop… seriously," she warned him.

"Luck is meant to be pushed, Red, otherwise you're only ever dancing in the safety zone," Cooper told her. "Don't tell me you've gone soft on me…" he narrowed his eyes toward hers.

When Scarlett only stuck her tongue out at him, then stomped back inside, he laughed at her.

"Did you ride out here just to get her going?" Morgan asked, seeing his friend's eyes follow Scarlett back inside.

"Nah," Cooper shrugged slightly, turning his gaze back to Morgan. "That's just a side benefit," he teased.

"I actually wanted to talk with you," Cooper looked over at Spencer. Reid met his questioning stare.

"About what?" Reid asked, unsure of what he could possibly have to talk about with the other man.

"Step into my office," Cooper grinned, walking over to his bike, not waiting to see if Spencer would follow.

Morgan just shrugged at Reid, not sure what it could be about either. He followed Scarlett back inside, leaving Spencer to deal with Coop.

Spencer stepped down off the porch, heading over to the driveway where Cooper sat on the large machine, smoking a cigarette.

"What is wrong with Red," Cooper asked him on his approach, not mincing any words.

Reid stiffened a bit at the tone. "What do you mean?" he asked, stopping about two feet away from the other man.

"She's different," Cooper held Reid's gaze, his brows frowning a bit. "She's all weepy and shit… Scarlett isn't like that," he told Spencer. "She'd have ripped off her own arm before she'd cry like she did in mine yesterday," he stated flatly. "What the hell is going on with her…"

"You'll have to ask her…" Spencer started.

"I'm asking _you_ ," Coop interrupted him. His blue eyes locked onto Reid's hazel ones. "I'm asking you, because as her _husband_ , I'd think you'd have something to do with whether or not she's happy…" he said, his voice turning gruff.

"And if she's not happy, I want to know why…"

Reid held the man's cool stare, not looking away. "It's not my place to tell you, husband or not, what is going on with Scarlett. It's up to her what she shares- and with whom…" he answered, non-committedly.

"Look, kid…"

Spencer scowled as the nickname irritated him coming from Cooper's tone.

"I've seen Scarlett at her worst, and not even then did one tear fall from her eyes. I want to know why all of a sudden, you get your chance to be there for her, she's gone ballistic…"

Reid shook his head, not liking where this conversation was going.

"You've seen her at her worst?" Spencer stepped up towards the man, keeping his voice lowered, not wanting his words to travel. "You really think that?"

Cooper scratched easily at the side of his nose, taking another drag from his cigarette, seemingly bored.

"I saw her after John was shot dead in front of her, _kid_ ," he stressed the word, knowing he was getting a rise out of Reid. "It doesn't get much worse than that…"

Spencer shook his head, images of how much worse it had been for Scarlett long before John Carter had died playing in his mind. Even Carter hadn't known how to help Scarlett deal with her memories of Rowan. He knew for a fact Cooper didn't know a thing about that… and Spencer wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

"You have no idea," he told Cooper.

"Enlighten me," Cooper scowled.

"No…"

Cooper chuckled softly as if in disbelief, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"So, you are going to stand there, acting like nothing's wrong…"

"Nothing is 'wrong' with Scarlett," Reid let his voice take on a warning tone.

"And yet, with John she was never anything but happy. With you, she's a mess…" Cooper raised his voice slightly.

"She is not a mess," Spencer cautioned him. "And I'm not talking about her to you behind her back…"

"So you are telling me I don't know her, at all…" Cooper stood up, stepping forward to crowd Reid a bit.

Spencer kept his eyes locked onto the other man.

"You don't know _her_ , at all…" he growled out lowly.

He saw Cooper's eyes tighten slightly at his comment and braced himself, expecting a punch.

Instead, he was surprised when Cooper stepped back, flicking the butt of his smoke off the driveway before turning back to him. Cooper's voice was controlled, his eyes no longer showing animosity. He scratched his head, blowing out a tense breath as he met Reid's hard stare.

"Stand down, Reid… I'm not going to hit you…" he grinned at the defensive stance the man had taken. "I'm not ready to be bumped up to the top of Red's shit list right yet…" he shrugged easily, taking his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"So, then…" Spencer watched him warily. "What is your point here?" he asked almost callously.

"Well, see, there's the rub…" he lit another smoke, taking a long drag. "I guess I spent too much time thinking over the past couple days. With everything that's happened, I just got it in my head that maybe, just maybe, things moved too fast between the two of you and she's not happy…"

"Is that so?" Spencer crossed his arms over his chest.

"Just my take on things," Cooper gave Reid an easy grin. "I realized you would think differently."

"Just a lot…"

"Right. Yet, still you stand here, listening. And maybe that is because some small part of you thinks I'm right…"

"No."

Cooper's smiled widened at his quick response. "Well, I guess I wanted to tell you directly that I see it differently. And I'm changing my mind about my approach…"

"Approach?" Spencer felt something squeeze at his heart.

"Yeah, taking a bullet to your back for the woman you love kinda gets you rethinking things," Cooper let the words drop like weights at Reid's feet.

The tightening in his chest worsened. "You think it'd be that easy to get her away from me?" Spencer picked up the challenge.

"Easy? No. Maybe not. But nothing about Scarlett is ever easy… that doesn't make it not worth it…"

"I know what she's worth," Reid snapped.

"I get that. But I don't think you make her happy," Cooper blew out some more smoke, pacing easily back and forth across the driveway. "You are safe. You are everything that Scarlett needed after losing John- because he wasn't safe. He was more like me… we're the type that dance in the darkness, kid…" he grinned.

"She wasn't ready to go back into that dark right off, and I gave her space. Maybe too much, since I wasn't expecting to have her run off full throttle. But I'm not giving up. I'm not stepping back and I'm not going away. I just figured you should know that."

"You must think a lot less of me than I thought if you think _I'd_ step back for even one second and give her over…" Spencer tensed, feeling a very real urge to hit Cooper.

"Nah," John said easily. "You love her. I know that, I won't downplay it. But I'm hoping, once you realize how much happier she could be, you'll leave it alone. Step back, fight for her- it doesn't matter, you love her so you'll want her to be happy and you'll do what's best for her…" he shrugged.

Reid shook his head in disbelief. "What makes you so sure? What happens when I go in and tell Scarlett everything you just told me?" he scoffed. "You really think she's going to agree with your side of this conversation?"

"Nope, but I think that the small part of _you_ that agrees with me will keep you from telling her any of this."

"That's why you are not going to breathe a word of it to her. You'll wait and see if she chooses you, for real. You'll give me my chance…" Cooper tossed the keys to Romeo over to Spencer.

"…and you'll tell her I gave you Romeo. I heard you passed your test. You need a bike and this is hers, not mine. It never was. I was only holding it for her…"

"The hell I will," Reid ground out, looking down at the keys he caught one handed. "And I don't want my own bike…" he scowled. "I ride with Scarlett…"

Cooper chuckled. "Jesus," he rolled his eyes skyward. "You are only proving how much you don't know about her, Reid. Red never rides bitch if she has a choice. Why the hell do you think Carter built two bikes? You think he rather have her off his back?"

Spencer shook his head. "She never asked me to get my own bike…"

John cocked a brow to him.

"Give her the choice, Reid. See if she still dances in the safe zones…" he shrugged. When Spencer didn't say anything else, he looked over towards the front door.

"Red! Get your sweet ass out here," his voice boomed across the yard.

Spencer scowled darkly at Cooper.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"You are wrong," he stated lowly. "About everything…"

Cooper gave him a grin. "Then you have no worries, right?" he responded, listening as Scarlett slammed out of the front door.

"Coop, you are the biggest pain in my 'sweet ass' that ever lived," she snapped as she came around the corner. She spotted the keys in Spencer's hand and scowled slightly.

"What's going on?" she asked looking between Cooper and Spencer. She could see the tenseness in Reid's stance. Cooper's face was unreadable.

"I want your husband to take Romeo… I'm giving the bike to him. It's a bit harder to convince him than I thought…"

"What?" Scarlett looked at Cooper. "Why?"

Coop shrugged, noticing Reid wasn't saying anything. "John built him to ride with you. Reid rides now- so why shouldn't he have it?"

"You don't just give away a custom bike, Cooper," Scarlett said a slight edge to her voice.

"John's parents gave it to me. I only kept it for you. Now you can ride Juliet for yourself instead of bitch…" he watched her eyes, seeing the light move into them quickly before she tamped it, looking over at Reid. He changed his glance to meet Spencer's with an 'I-told-you-so' look.

"You don't want to take it," she said watching Spencer.

He cleared his throat, having seen the glimmer in her eyes. He felt something constrict in his heart, thinking Cooper had been right. She'd been missing riding for herself…

"I thought it was too much," Spencer answered, avoiding her gaze. He looked over at Cooper instead.

"Maybe I was wrong…" he stated dully.

"It happens to the best of us, kid," Cooper grinned, feeling reassured by Reid's comment, and the fact that he wasn't mentioning anything about their conversation.

"Why don't you take him for a spin," Coop shrugged, looking Reid over. "Your legs are almost as long as John's- although you're about half his size," he smirked, flexing his own upper arms. "You shouldn't have _too_ much trouble handling Romeo…"

Scarlett punched Cooper lightly, seeing the dig. "Shut up, Coop. Spencer will be fine," she headed over to the bike, comfortable with picking the secondary helmet out of the saddle bags, where she knew it would be. The ease wasn't lost on Reid.

It was her helmet; after all… he frowned at Cooper's smile.

"Go ahead then…" Cooper shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "I'm heading in to see if Ma has any coffee…"

Spencer felt another dig at that familiarity. _Shit_ … he thought darkly. Scarlett turned back, seeing the scowl on his face.

"Don't let Cooper talk down to you like that, boy," she told him, tugging on his hand. "He's just busting on you. You can handle Romeo just fine," she misunderstood what he was upset over and nudged the helmet into his hand.

"Right, yeah," Spencer closed his eyes, taking a breath as he moved onto the bike. He felt Scarlett slide onto the seat behind him and sighed.

She felt the movement, but didn't ask him what was bothering him. Instead she let him go, as he pulled the motorcycle out onto the road, hitting the throttle with a snarl as they sped down the street.

She settled herself against him as close as possible with the barrier of the helmet. He felt her tense a bit when they reached the end of a road and he pulled off to the side.

"What's wrong?" she asked, still seeing the scowl on his face.

"Nothing. I've gotten my feel for the bike now. Give me the helmet…" he told her, his voice tight.

"Why?" she asked, removing the helmet and handing it to him.

"Illinois has no helmet laws," he told her, putting the helmets into the saddlebags. "I want you closer…" he growled.

Scarlett's eyes widened at his statement, unsure as to why he was in such a mood all of a sudden.

"You won't hear me complain about that," she told him with a grin. When he slid back in front of her again, she wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking him close as she fit her legs around his narrow hips. She squeezed them tightly between her thighs.

"No distracting the driver," he told her, grinning in the mirror. Scarlett saw his smile and moved closer, tucking her fingers under his shirt, lightly stroking at the muscles over his abs.

Spencer groaned. "Not helping," he told her, turning the engine over once again. His eyes met hers in the mirror, holding her gaze with a light humor.

"Let's ride, farm boy," she told him, her voice close to his ear. "Show me what you can do…"

Reid hit the throttle, squealing the tire on a burn before releasing the clutch and running the bike out up the road again.

Scarlett enjoyed the ride, feeling the wind on her face as he took them through some of the suburban streets, and opened the throttle heading on the straight road to the highway. He felt her tense slightly as he took the onramp.

"Hang on," he called back over his shoulder, moving in and out of traffic and speeding towards the next exit. When he followed it down, heading towards some open land, he saw her scan the area.

"It's the quickest way to get out of the traffic," he answered her questioning look.

Scarlett reached up to tuck some of his stray hair behind his ear.

"Good job, speed racer," she teased. "Just keep it under eighty anymore," she scolded.

They rode in silence a while longer, taking in the countryside. When they came up on a gas station, Spencer looked down at the odometer, realizing he hadn't checked for fuel.

"I have no idea when Cooper fed the beast last," Scarlett agreed with his scowl. "We'd better stop…"

"Yeah," Spencer hung a left into the station, making the turn easily. Scarlett patted his shoulder, making him look up at her from her position at his back.

"Really, Spence… you are doing great," she told him with a grin.

"You doubted me?" he asked, seeing her cheeky smile.

"No… of course not," she lied, her smile widening. Spencer reached back and tugged behind her knees, pulling her closer.

Scarlett felt the possessiveness of the movement, and leaned into him. When he turned to meet her in a kiss, she held onto him tightly.

"Hey, farm boy… talk to me…" she told him, reaching up from his shoulder to trace the worried frown lines between his eyes.

"It's nothing, Scarlett. Just an errant thought…"

"About what… come on Spence, I can see somethings bugging you. I know you better than that…" she tried again, nudging her knees to his hips as he tried to pull away.

Reid scowled. "Not now. I just want to ride for now. I want to feel you wrapping around me like a second skin while I can…" he told her, his eyes darkening slightly.

Scarlett stilled at his comment, but dropped it. He left her to pay for the gas and refuel.

The entire ride back, she kept her silence wondering about his words. Something had turned him maudlin, and the only thing that could've done that was different was that Cooper had offered him the bike.

She tapped his shoulder, having him pull over at a field before they headed back on the highway towards home.

"You don't want the bike," she told him as she stretched a bit, walking towards a fence where some horses waited. She reached up and scratched at one's ears.

Spencer followed her, letting her come to her own assumptions on his mood. He shrugged.

"I don't mind having you at my back," he told her. "That's not the point though. I would have bought my own bike if I had realized you missed riding yourself so much," he offered.

Scarlett tilted her head up towards him. She surprised him by laughing.

"Spencer, I'd rather be at your back, boy. It's much more interesting to ride close. And easier to hide behind you and let my mind wander than deal with the road. If I was worried about being the driver, I'd just tell you to sit bitch, problem solved," she teased.

He stopped, searching her eyes. "You're serious…"

Scarlett rolled her eyes with a huff. "Of course I'm serious, boy. Jesus… Have you ever known me to not tell you the straight deal? And you have no issue taking the back, the few times I do want to drive, so what's the problem? We don't need a second bike… if you don't want Romeo, Cooper can keep him. I've got everything I need…" she told him.

Spencer felt the tightening in his chest loosen just a bit.

"John Carter wouldn't ride bitch," he muttered, realizing why it would have been necessary for her to have her own bike then, when she'd wanted to drive.

Scarlett laughed richly. "Oh, Christ no- Spencer- you've seen pictures of John… please. Cooper had to look up to him… Can you imagine him trying to fit behind me, even if he'd wanted to? It never would have worked…"

Something occurred to her. "Cooper told you I'd rather ride alone?" she asked. When Spencer only shrugged she shook her head.

"I don't ride with Coop," she told him, running her hand over Reid's arm. "When we'd ride together- I'd take my own bike," she thought a moment before explaining.

"I don't like being Cooper's bitch- he takes it a little too literally," she tried to be diplomatic. "I didn't want him to get any wrong impressions…"

Reid felt the rest of the tightness in his chest ease up with her admission. She still wasn't interested in Cooper as anything more than as a friend. And he was letting his own insecurities get in his way…

"I love you Scarlett…" he grinned, pulling her closer to kiss her.

Scarlett returned the kiss, feeling him wrap her braid around his fist as he changed his angle to bring her lips tighter against his.

"Mmm. As I love you, sweet boy," she grinned up at him, touching his cheek lightly in a caress. "Even when you confuse the hell out of me…"

"How do I confuse you, crazy girl?" he rubbed his nose against hers lightly.

"It confuses me how someone who is supposedly so smart, can let someone else's opinion on something change your own mind…" she huffed slightly, kissing him again.

"You know better than to let Cooper get into your head…" she scowled slightly at him, knowing she was hitting close to the truth.

Spencer looked over her head, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"He, uh, said something to me before that pissed me off," he admitted part of the conversation.

"I figured. He's got a way of doing that… What did he say?" she asked, still stroking his jaw. She felt it tense and release.

"He said he took the bullet to his back for the 'woman he loved'," Spencer bit out, dropping his gaze to meet her eyes.

"Hmm." Scarlett scowled, not looking away. "Very blunt... and very Coop-like… You didn't hit him?" she asked.

"I restrained myself," he said darkly.

"Well, thank you for that," she stood on her toes, nipping lightly at his lips again. "I'd hate to see the two of you get into it over a non-issue," she told him.

Spencer kissed her back, reaching to her hips to pull her against him.

"Not a non-issue to me," he growled out lowly.

"No- maybe not, but seeing as how I am not the least bit attracted or interested in him- and you have me heart and whole, Spencer Reid- maybe you can remember that and see why it really isn't anything to think twice about after all…"

Scarlett linked her foot behind his leg, taking him down to the ground.

"Oooofff," he grunted as she landed on top of him. "A little warning crazy girl…" he told her as the air rushed out of his lungs.

He looked up at her, seeing the sun surrounding her like a halo. When she rocked against him, surrounded by the tall grass of the field, he grabbed her hips and swung her underneath him.

Scarlett looked up at him, seeing the desire in his eyes.

"You better say the safe word quick, Katy…" he warned her, leaning over her and tugging at her pants.

She didn't say a word as she reached up to unbuckle his belt…


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Scarlett heard Norie's voice call out from the porch as Spencer cut off the engine.

"I want to go for a ride! Please!" she hopped down the front stairs, jumping up and down as they came up the walkway.

"Alright, little one… a little later. Let's go inside for a bit first… I want a coffee," Spencer tucked her under his arm, kissing her forehead as she moved with him back inside.

"Unless your mom wants to drive you," he offered, stepping into the dining room where everyone was still eating.

Scarlett laughed. "No, that's alright, Dad will take you," she told Norie. "Romeo wasn't built with my short legs in mind. I have a hard time lifting him. Dad's legs reach better," she grinned at him, eyeing him up. "Speaking of Spence's legs… Mama- do you have any deep personal attachment to that little bed in the guest room?"

Spencer blushed slightly as Scarlett carried on the conversation of the new bed with her mother beside him.

"So are you going to take Romeo back to DC?" Cooper asked Reid, throwing him a grin.

"Actually, Scarlett said there isn't any reason to have two bikes, since she'd prefer to ride with me…" he told the other man with a smirk. "But if you don't want to keep it, I'll buy it off you- leave it here for when we want to go for a ride when we stay in Chicago…"

"I told you it was given to me… I don't want money for it," Cooper scowled. "As far as I'm concerned, it's Scarlett's. I already have my own bike…"

"Cool," Reid told him. "Maybe we can go for a ride together, after your shoulder is better, that is…" he added. "I don't want to be on Scarlett's shit list either for encouraging you on over using it."

Cooper snorted and gave Spencer a slight smile. "Right…"

Morgan looked over at Reid. "What the hell is Scarlett bitching about the bed for?" he asked Spencer. "I've seen you make due with a couch way too small for your legs… the bed isn't nearly that bad…" he commented, listening to both conversations at once.

Spencer blushed again.

"Freaking thing squeaks like a mother fu-" he stopped dead when he saw Norie's eyes watching him from across the table widen in surprise.

"Yeeah- got'cha…" Derek laughed heartily at Reid's uncomfortable look.

"You all are going soft," Cooper teased.

"Probably," Morgan agreed. "It's a part of growing up and being responsible," he shrugged.

"Phht…" Cooper knocked back the rest of the beer he was drinking. "You can 'grow up' without me," he told them.

Spencer shrugged, standing up behind Norie and giving her shoulders a quick squeeze.

"It's not so bad…" he told Cooper. "Come on, Nor… Let's go for that ride…" he leaned over to Scarlett and kissed her temple. "Be right back," he told her as Noreen danced ahead of him.

"Make sure you two wear your helmets," she shouted over to them.

"Yes, Mom!" Norie called back, slamming the door after her.

"Helmets…" Cooper scoffed. "Completely soft, Red," he snorted.

Scarlett moved out of her seat to the big front window to watch Spencer strapping her helmet onto Norie's head. She could see him explaining some things to her as she barely contained her excitement.

"Yup, totally soft and squishy…" she agreed. "And I'm going to make it worse by taking pictures just like my mother does, of my daughter's first bike ride," she stated, her eyes shining with joy. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and moved to the porch to take some shots.

Morgan laughed as Penelope tugged on his arm, wanting to go watch also. "Come on, Uncle Derek. Let's go watch with the proud momma…"

"Christ," Cooper muttered, not too thrilled about the situation. "Have you all gone nuts?"

"Why?" Morgan asked his friend. "Because she's worried about helmets and wanting to take pictures? Scarlett's fitting into the mom role pretty nicely, if you ask me…"

"Yeah… but you don't think it's weird? She's done a one eighty from the Scarlett we all knew…" Cooper watched her over by the bike, showing Noreen where to keep her feet on the pegs and how to hold onto Spencer's waist.

"I never thought I'd see her like this…"

"Coop, come on dude- she's always wanted kids…" Morgan reminded him.

"Still weird to see the instant family thing," Cooper interjected.

"Well, it happens- and when it does, the best people make it work. Spencer and Scarlett are making this work…"

"For her sister's sake? Is that why they rushed everything?" he asked, meeting Morgan's eyes.

"I didn't say they rushed into anything, Cooper," Derek stated, getting a little defensive.

"You didn't have to… they dated less than a year, Morgan. Hell- they _knew_ each other for less than a year!" Cooper griped, ripping a cigarette out of his pack and lighting it.

"You of all people should have said something to her about acting so rashly… running into stuff head first is Red's MO for Christ's sake. You could've stopped her…"

Morgan met his friend's eyes with a bland stare. "Why would I have done that Coop? They are happy…"

Cooper scowled. "Red's not happy- she's crying for godsake, and you know she doesn't cry…" he pointed a finger into Derek's chest.

Morgan stepped up closer to his friend. "Look again, Coop…" he said quietly.

Cooper looked off the porch to where Scarlett was alongside Penelope taking pictures of the little girl on the bike. Reid reached over, putting his hand in front of the screen, waving at her impatiently. He saw her nod and stand back as he turned over the engine.

She squeezed Penelope's hand tightly as they took off down the street and wiped at her eyes.

He scowled.

"See? She's fucking crying again!" he snapped. "What the hell Derek?"

Morgan looked at Cooper strangely.

"Coop- she's just being emotional. She's happy and in love with her family…"

"I don't like it," he muttered.

Derek chuckled. "Then I guess it's a good thing you don't have to deal with it…" he offered, slapping Cooper's good shoulder.

"I think I need another beer," Cooper grimaced as he saw Scarlett move toward the street and shield her eyes against the sun, watching for the bike to come around the corner.

"Never thought I'd see her acting like this…" he groused, turning back inside.

Morgan scowled at his friend's back, not understanding why he was being so adamant about this. He let it go, heading out to the driveway to join Penny and Scarlett to wait on his niece's return.

Spencer heard Norie's squeal in the com-link at his ear. He winced slightly.

"Take it down a tone, Norie," he told her with a chuckle. "I can't even understand what you are saying, little one," he laughed, patting her knee lightly.

"I said, 'This is like flying!'" she repeated, settling her voice a little.

"Don't fidget," he warned her as she moved a little on the back. "You losing your seat?" he asked, worried, slowing the bike down.

"A little," she admitted. "Mom made this look easy," she said.

Spencer pulled up to a stop sign. "You're just learning," he shrugged. "Your mom has years of experience on the both of us," he told her. "Adjust yourself now," he said, waiting for her to regain her comfortable position at his back.

"Okay, ready now," she told him, knocking her helmet into his once again when she turned her head.

"Shit…" she swore. "Oops. Sorry," she giggled. "Don't mention that to Mama…"

"Riiiight…" he laughed at her soft curse. "Ready to head back?"

"Do we have to?" she lamented, wanting to keep riding.

"If we stay out much longer, your mom is going to worry…" he warned.

He heard and felt her huge sigh. "Again later?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe, we'll see… I'm still learning how this bike handles differently than your mom's…"

"Okay," she pouted slightly. "I want to ride with Mom too…" she told him. "It must really be something, to go fast…"

Spencer guiltily thought of the feeling of hitting eighty five earlier without the helmet on…

"Yeah, it's something. But I think she's going to insist on waiting for you to ride with her on Juliet."

He stretched his legs out, holding the bike up. Scarlett was right. She'd be hard pressed to reach the ground on this bike. It was much higher and wider than hers.

Norie saw what he was doing and stretched her own legs out behind him. "Yeah- Mom's closer to my height. This wouldn't work for her," she agreed, tucking her feet back onto the pegs.

"You're going to pass her out soon," he commented, looking down at the child's feet, making sure she was situated before starting off again. "Ready?"

"Yep!" she chirped out, patting his side.

"Then hang on," he warned her, waiting until she hooked her arms tighter and ground down on the throttle, giving her a burst of speed.

"Better?" he grinned, hearing her laugh over the earpiece.

"Oh my God… I want a bike of my own," she squealed again, the pitch cutting out the speaker.

Spencer laughed heartily at her exuberance. "When you are much, much older… and your mom is ready to teach you…" he told her, slowing down only when they turned on to Fran Morgan's home street.

Scarlett stood up from the porch steps when she heard the sound of the bike turning onto the lane. She took a swig from the bottle of beer that Cooper had brought out for her and looked over at her friend.

"I told you he'd do fine," she snarked, commenting on Cooper's earlier reference to Spencer's driving.

"I'm telling you Red, I heard the engine racing…" he shrugged. "If you don't want to believe me…" he let the sentence hang.

Scarlett had heard everything, and knew Reid had cut back on the throttle when he'd reached the end of the street. She smirked at Cooper.

"I've got ears, Coop," she told him. "You done trying to get my husband in trouble?"

She laughed as Cooper actually blushed at that and smacked the back of his head lightly when she passed him, heading over to the driveway to greet the two new bikers.

Norie waited until Spencer cut off the engine, pulling off her helmet and scrambling off the back seat.

"Mom! Oh my God… it's so great! It's just… huge… I love it- I want a bike. I want to ride again. Dad said you would have to teach me, though, when I get old enough and I couldn't believe how great it was, just having everything moving so fast around you…"

"Uh-huh- and how fast is 'fast around you'?" she asked, eyeing up Spencer as he pulled off his helmet.

"I kept it within the speed limit, darling," he promised, snagging her waist and pulling her close for a kiss.

"I heard you cut back on the throttle at the top of the street," she warned him, kissing his nose.

"Uh, yeah…" he grinned, blushing slightly at being caught. "But I was still well within the speed limits…"

She looked over at Norie's eyes shining brightly. "What was your top speed?" she asked her daughter directly.

"We hit _sixty_ on the by-pass…" she said excitedly. Scarlett raised a brow to Spencer.

"Where the limit is sixty five…" he reminded her. "And we didn't get on the freeway, _and_ it was only for half a mile, just to let her see what it felt like…" Spencer squeezed her hip, knowing she worried.

Scarlett closed her eyes, sighing. "Okay… alright. I guess I earned that gray hair for all the ones I gave to Mama myself…" she reached over and brushed Norie's hair out of her face.

"You're going to want to use extra conditioner tonight, baby. The knots are always worse after a ride, even with a helmet. The ends aren't covered…" she held up a piece in front of Norie's eyes.

"Eww," Norie squealed when she saw a beetle attached to her hair. "That's gross… I'm going up to shower right now…" she complained, heading inside at a jog.

"I think you may have just ruined the experience for her," Reid laughed.

"Yeah- she'll either get over that and love it, or never ride again," Scarlett agreed, handing him the beer.

"Cooper says you want to keep Romeo here?" she asked him as he took a swallow out of her bottle. Spencer shrugged.

"He said he won't take any money for it," he answered. "And that he has his own bike at home… So I thought, if you don't care, and he doesn't mind, why not keep it here so we can ride whenever we are back…"

"Mmm-hmm, sounds like a good plan," she told him, looking up at him through her lashes. "Especially so we can hunt up some more fields…"

Reid felt the blush heat his face with her words. "There's that too," he amended, taking her teasing with stride.

"You better be careful Spencer, you may find out I like being an exhibitionist," she joked.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Scarlett paid for the round of drinks at the bar, carrying the tray over to the table with the ease of a veteran waitress.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into dragging everyone out to this dive, Cooper," she gave her friends an apologetic glance as she scanned the bar. "It's actually worse than I remember," she stated.

"Hey, no downing Mack's," Cooper grinned. "We keep this place running…" he said, referring to the other Chicago PD officers and detectives who lined the bar. He lifted his shot to hers, knocking back the tequila quickly and grabbed his beer.

"Besides, you still owe me a dance," he teased. "And your team is heading back tomorrow… I didn't want to miss the chance to show them some of Chicago's nightlife…"

JJ grinned as someone turned on the jukebox over at the wall, feeding it with money, blaring out tunes into the small bar. Some people moved out onto the makeshift dance floor, grinding to the latest choices.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I swear to you, we have better bars…"

Rossi saluted her with his whiskey. "But I'm sure none of them have this ambiance," he winked.

"Nope- this place has been around since my dad was on the force," Cooper added, waving at another man who'd yelled his name across the room. "It's a good place," he said, leaving the table to talk to some other people.

"It certainly has to be one of the safest bars in the area," Penelope added as another uniform walked in the door.

Hotch grinned in agreement with her. "I think the clientele is exclusive to the shield," he stated.

"Pretty much," Derek added. "My dad had some stories about this place too," he winked at Penny.

Scarlett watched as Spencer edged forward, away from the crowded dance floor. She reached over for his hand, indicating he pull his chair closer to hers.

"You're better off just moving to this side, Spence," she warned him. "The floor will just get more packed as the night goes on…"

He looked around the room, thinking it had to already be at max occupancy and met her eyes with a look.

"Yeah," she agreed with his unspoken words, giving a laugh. "It can get worse…"

Cooper came back over to the table carrying a bottle of tequila. He set it down in front of Scarlett, his eyes full of challenge.

"So, are you still able to drink me under the table, Red… or have you _really_ gone over to the land of minivans and soccer moms?"

Scarlett raised her brow to him, giving him a cold stare. "Please… I can drink you under the table and still take the minivan to soccer practice, lightweight…" she snarked, pouring the shots again.

"Uh-oh…" Penelope grinned over at Reid. "I think you may be carrying her in tonight."

Spencer returned her smile, raising his own glass of soda. "That's why I'm the DD," he offered, nodding towards Derek as he also took a shot.

"Awww, come on, Mr. Responsibility… lighten up a little," Cooper teased, reaching over to loosen Reid's tie. "Take a cab home…" he poured another shot and handed the glass to Spencer.

Reid resisted the urge to scowl at Cooper, straightening his tie instead. When he met his eyes, he only grinned.

"Nope," he said with a slight shrug. "I still may have to carry my wife up the stairs… a cab won't take care of that," he stated, making the comment sound off hand. He felt a petty bit of pleasure when Cooper scowled.

JJ noticed the by-play, and the shuttered look that crossed her friend's face. She didn't know much about Cooper, but she knew how to read Spence like a book.

Something was going on between the two men. She stood up, taking her purse from the table and catching Scarlett and Garcia's eyes with quick look.

"You gals want to go freshen up with me?" she asked. Reid pulled out her chair for her and before he could do the same for Scarlett, Cooper stepped up, giving him a smirk.

 _Wow_ , JJ thought, reaching up to rub Spencer's arm. "Thanks, Spence," she said lightly. He nodded and shrugged, seeing her look in Cooper's direction.

Scarlett followed JJ into the ladies room, and stepped back when her friend flicked her in the forehead with her finger and her thumb.

"Oww!" Scarlett hollered, looking at JJ while she rubbed her head. "What the hell, Jay?" she asked, scowling at her friend.

Penelope had followed right behind, seeing JJ's move. "Cool… why are we flicking Scarlett, and when is it my turn?" she giggled, earning her a stare from narrowed green eyes.

"I'm not quite sure," Scarlett frowned, meeting JJ's eyes. "I'd like to know… what happened?"

"Your friend Cooper has been ragging on Spencer since we got here…" she informed Scarlett. "And you haven't even noticed…"

"What?" Scarlett stopped rubbing the spot to stare at JJ. "Oh, geez…" she rolled her eyes. "That's just Coop. He can be an ass- Spence knows that."

Penelope moved over by the mirror, reapplying her lipstick. "I don't know, bunny… Cooper is laying it on a little thick…" she mentioned to Scarlett.

"But I don't think it deserved the thwacking, though," she told JJ, in Scarlett's defense.

"Coop is a world class jack-off when he's drinking," Scarlett's brow furrowed as she tried to remember if she noticed anything. "But I haven't seen anything worse than usual…"

JJ sighed. "Maybe I rushed the flick, but he's upsetting Spence…"

Penny grinned. "Well, to be fair, JJ… Reid _is_ getting a few good digs in himself," she reminded her. Scarlett's frown deepened.

"Am I at a different table? Why haven't I noticed any of this?" she asked them.

"They're kinda doing it behind your back, sweets…" Penny replied. "It's like watching a tennis match… I keep waiting for Rossi to start calling points…" she laughed at Scarlett's groan.

" _Dave_ noticed?! I'm going to kill Cooper…"

JJ smiled, adding to her discomfort.

"And Hotch… it was sort of funny, in the beginning…" she teased.

"Scratch that, I'm killing them both…" Scarlett growled. When she started to stalk through the door, JJ grabbed her arm.

"Wait, wait a sec, there Killer…" Jennifer tugged her back. "Maybe I was reading it all wrong, what with Spencer saying Cooper was in love with you…"

"What?!" Scarlett shrieked.

"Not tonight… nevermind! What I meant to say was just watch them- judge for yourself…" JJ tried to smooth things over.

Penelope put away her cosmetics bag in her purse, using a bit of tissue to blot her lips. "Then you can decide who to kill… winner takes you home," she giggled seeing Scarlett turn red.

"Ha! You're blushing!" she laughed, wrapping her arm over her friend's neck and giving her a kiss and leaving a lip print against her cheek. "Isn't love grand?"

"Shut up, Pens…" Scarlett smirked slightly, shoving Garcia's face away from her. She swiped at the lipstick stain on her face.

"Spencer wins, every time. He should know that… Cooper should too- the dumb ass…"

"Maybe you have to prove that point, then," JJ said with a wink as she straightened her own make up.

Scarlett chuckled, leaning back against the countertop. "It'd serve them both right. Spencer would be ready to crawl under the table if I went all PDA on him. And Coop can kiss my ass…"

"Don't offer that to him," JJ warned, slipping her lipstick back into her bag. "We ready then?" she asked the girls.

"Yeah," Scarlett looked at their reflections in the mirror. "Maybe I'll show them both and just start flirting with everyone else in the bar…" she grinned evilly.

"That would _really_ hurt Reid," Penny frowned. "Then I will have to flick you myself," she warned her.

"Oh, poo," Scarlett stuck her tongue out at her image and rolled her eyes at Penny. "You say that as if everyone out there would be receptive… God!"

She shook her hair out over her shoulders and left the bathroom in a huff.

"She really has no idea, does she?" JJ looked over at Garcia.

Penelope sighed. "No, sweetie. She doesn't have an arrogant bone in her body…"

JJ held the door open. "Shall we watch the fun?"

"I think I am going to start keeping a tally," Penny giggled.

Reid saw Cooper start to reach for Scarlett's chair as she came back to the table, but when he did she tipped her head slightly and narrowed her eyes.

 _Uh-oh_... Spencer thought to himself.

Scarlett moved past her seat, choosing to slide onto Spencer's lap instead.

"Hello, boy…" she smirked.

"Hello, girl…" he responded, meeting her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer. "You feeling okay?" he asked, watching her mood carefully.

"Yup," she grinned, turning in his arms back towards the table. When he started to move his hands off her hips, Scarlett stilled him with a touch, telling him without words that she wanted him to continue holding her. She reached for the tequila bottle, pouring more shots between her and Cooper.

"You ready to be schooled, big guy?" she asked him.

"Bring it Red… it's your hangover," he smiled, lifting the glass and tossing it back.

"What's the record?" Rossi asked, watching them turn over their glasses.

"Between her and Cooper? Maybe thirty shots…" Morgan shrugged. "Carter used to give her more of a challenge…"

Penelope scoffed. "She put back almost that by herself at my place that one night…"

"Thirty?" Spencer looked over at Garcia.

"How many shots are in a bottle?" she asked.

"What size bottle?" Reid questioned.

Penny looked thoughtful. "A fifth- I think…"

"About seventeen- the standard shot glass is one point five ounces and a fifth is seven hundred and fifty milliliters… so with forty four point thirty six milliliters in each one and a half shot…" he stopped when Scarlett turned in his lap, catching his mouth under hers.

"No math, Reid…" she stated, giving him a sultry look. "It drives me almost as crazy as your damn glasses…" she warned him, patting his face lightly after seeing his shocked look.

Cooper laughed out loud at her comment.

"You are one weird chick, Red…" he teased.

Scarlett eyed up Cooper. "Spence uses math for _interesting_ reasons," she said, wrapping her arm around Reid's shoulder, leaning into him. "Hearing it makes me think of those reasons…" she winked down at Spencer as he choked on his soda.

"Katy, you have absolutely no filter," he blushed, shaking his head in disbelief, hoping the others hadn't heard her comment. Everyone else seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, easing his discomfort a little.

Cooper rolled his eyes, pouring again. "Alright, alright- I don't wanna hear about your sex life, Red-bird," he shot back at her. "And no breaks… or you lose, you know the rules…" Cooper warned her, dropping another shot in front of her.

"I'm not asking for a break, stud…" she looked over her shoulder, grabbed her drink and slammed it down, turning back to Spencer with a grin. He tasted the tequila on her lips when she bit lightly at his mouth and he could feel the blush start to burn his ears as she deepened the kiss.

"Too much?" Scarlett asked him a bit more quietly, seeing the pink tingeing his cheeks.

"I haven't called for mercy, yet," he responded, enjoying her attention in spite of the embarrassment. He saw the slow smile spread across her lips.

"Oh, but you will," she teased, wiggling her butt against his lap. He tightened his hands over her hips, stilling her.

Cooper snorted, still overhearing the conversation from his position. "What'd'ya have a safe word or somethin'?" he snickered, starting to slur his words as he poured another round. Morgan had graciously brought over a second bottle and Cooper tried to open it.

Scarlett giggled. "Everyone gets a 'safe word' with me, Coop," she joked, leaning over to take the bottle from his hands. When she opened it easily and poured the next two, Cooper looked at her cross-eyed.

"Oh, yeah? What's my safe word then, Red?" he asked. When she gave him a sidelong glance, he grinned.

" _You_ said 'everyone'…" he reminded her, lifting his glass.

"FUBAR… As in, 'You'd be totally FUBAR if had to deal with me, Cooper," Scarlett laughed as he choked on the shot, slamming her empty glass upside down.

Spencer scowled slightly, looking over at JJ. "What's a fubar?" he asked her.

JJ laughed, leaning closer to Reid. "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition… Basically, your wife is telling Coop he couldn't handle her," she said with a grin.

Spencer hid his smile. "Accurate…"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Scarlett squinted slightly at the glasses lined up along the table and looked over at her brother as she noticed the alcohol taking its effects on her.

"What's the count?" she asked him.

"Eighteen even," Derek grinned, "You both just finished off number nine…"

"Ah, then I'm going to round off to ten, then call it…" she poured the next two.

"Giving up so easy?" Cooper picked up the glass and sloshed over more than he drank. Scarlett shook her head, grinning easily at her friend.

"Yup," she said, finishing the last and turning her glass over. "You are already FUBAR, Coop. I proved my point," she teased.

Cooper narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on her face. "We _did_ have a few before we started counting," he reminded her, trying to save face.

"Yup," she agreed, giving him his out. "That'd bring our total to sixteen each… plus the beer. I think we broke our record, Coop," she grinned as he started to slide from the chair.

Spencer reached over, pushing the bigger man back into the seat. He looked up at Scarlett's giggle.

"You have to be drunk, too…" he warned her as she stood up from his lap.

"Eh, I've got a buzz going…" she shrugged. "Fast metabolism… it helps me not get the full whammy as easily as some others," she joked, eyeing up her friend.

She stretched slightly, tapping Cooper's shoulder.

"C'mon big guy- you wanted a dance. Let's get one in before you hit the floor, literally," she teased.

"I won't- I want to hear some GnR," he told her as he stood, waited a moment for the dizziness to pass, and then walked a semi-straight line to the jukebox.

Scarlett rolled her eyes as the stagger. "I am _not_ picking him up off the ground," she warned her brother and Spencer. "That'll be your guy's job…" she stopped talking, noticing her own slight slur. She giggled.

Penny laughed, looking up at Scarlett. "You aren't going to drop too, are you?" she teased.

"Nope," Scarlett shook her head, making a popping sound on the 'p'. When she giggled again, Spencer rolled his eyes.

"She's trashed…" he stated to the group.

"I think you will be carrying her out," Rossi agreed, watching her join Cooper on the dance floor. He grinned as he saw Scarlett pat the larger man's good arm, signaling for him to straighten up off of her a bit.

Spencer watched Cooper hold Scarlett's waist, pulling her closer as Guns and Roses 'November Rain' started to play. He tamped down a glimmer of jealousy, reminding himself it was only one dance. With that thought, he headed over to the jukebox himself to make a selection.

When the song switched over, Reid crossed the floor, taking her hand.

"May I have the next dance?" he asked her old-fashionably, adding a slight grin as he kissed her knuckles lightly.

"Of course, farm boy," she smiled, hearing Ed Sheeran's song 'Thinking Out Loud' play through the room.

"Nice choice," she commented as she snuggled comfortably into his embrace. She laid her ear against his chest, listening as he sang the words to her.

 _When your legs don't work like they used to before  
And I can't sweep you off of your feet  
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?  
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

 _And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70  
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23  
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways  
Maybe just the touch of a hand  
Well, me - I fall in love with you every single day  
And I just wanna tell you I am_

 _So honey now  
Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars  
Place your head on my beating heart  
I'm thinking out loud  
Maybe we found love right where we are_

 _When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades  
And the crowds don't remember my name  
When my hands don't play the strings the same way (mmm...)  
I know you will still love me the same_

 _'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen  
And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory  
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways  
Maybe it's all part of a plan  
Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes  
Hoping that you'll understand_

 _That, baby, now  
Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars  
Place your head on my beating heart  
Thinking out loud  
Maybe we found love right where we are (oh ohh)_

 _La la la la la la la la lo-ud_

 _So, baby, now  
Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars  
Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart  
I'm thinking out loud  
Maybe we found love right where we are  
Oh, baby, we found love right where we are  
And we found love right where we are_

Scarlett followed him off the floor as the song ended, heading back towards the table. She heard one of the bartenders give 'last call' as they passed the bar.

"I think it's about time to head out," Hotch stood, taking some of the bottles and glasses back to the bar with him when he went to settle his tab.

"I'll agree with that," Dave nodded over to Reid. "Are you guys going to need help getting him home?" he asked, nodding towards where Cooper had laid his head onto the table, seemingly passed out.

Derek clasped his hand onto Cooper's good shoulder. "C'mon, dude… time to roll out…"

Coop picked his head up, looking around the room and groaned.

Spencer laughed. "I think we've got it," he told Rossi, shaking hands with him and Aaron as the left. JJ stayed back for a moment, catching his eye as the room lit up and the waitress started to push along the stragglers.

They heard Cooper groan again.

"You're being nicer to him than he deserves," she told Spencer with a slight smile.

Reid shrugged. "He's been a good friend to Scarlett and Morgan," he said off handedly. "And she's still coming home with me…"

JJ bit her lip, grinning. "So, you can afford to be the gracious winner?" she teased.

"It does make it easier…" he blushed. "But seriously, he's not _that_ bad of a guy."

"Mmm-hmm, Scarlett said he's a bit of an ass sometimes…" she nudged him slightly, giving him a quick hug before picking up her purse. "As long as you're okay…"

"I'm more than okay," he smiled down at his friend as he watched Scarlett walk up behind Cooper, poking him in the back to keep him moving.

"I'm not FUBAR," he said with a laugh.

JJ chuckled. "Definitely- don't begrudge him that hangover," she grinned. "Good night, Spencer."

"Night, JJ…" he leaned forward, dropping a quick kiss to her hair.

Spencer moved over to Cooper's side, helping Morgan carry his weight through the bar to their borrowed car.

Scarlett shoved Cooper over as she climbed into the backseat next to him and he leaned on her.

"Jesus, Coop- you are such a freaking wuss," she complained as his weight shifted against her. She was relieved when Reid pulled him off of her and started laughing when she saw the look on his face as Cooper now lay against his shoulder.

"Don't worry sweetie, he doesn't live far," Penny teased, seeing Reid's discomfort.

"Thank God for that," Spencer complained, trying to shift away from the dead weight now resting on his chest.

Morgan swung into the apartment complex's parkade, getting the car as close to the elevators as possible.

"Baby girl- would you find a parking spot while Reid and I haul the party animal to his place?" he asked, switching places with Penelope.

"Okay," she threw a look at Cooper as Scarlett opened the back door, trying to help wake up the man.

"Come on, Coop- you're home," Scarlett slapped at his face lightly, rousting him from his sleep.

"Already?" he groused, pulling himself out of the car. He focused in on the elevators, and let Morgan lead him towards home.

Spencer followed behind them, making sure Derek didn't need help. When Cooper managed to make it onto his couch without falling on his face, he heard Scarlett sigh with relief.

"Okay then, package has been delivered," she snarked, leaving a bottle of Tylenol, water and a bucket within easy reach. She caught Spencer's glance at the mop bucket and shrugged.

"Lightweight is a barfer," she told him.

"Ah, greaaat... let's _not_ stay for the show," he shook his head, grabbing her hand and heading back to the car.

"Nope- I want to go home…" she agreed, squeezing his fingers and looking up into his eyes. "I've had enough reminiscing for the night," she said, moving closer to his side.

"Not as much fun as it used to seem little one?" Morgan teased, sliding back into the driver's seat. Penelope met her eyes in the mirror.

"Not at all," she told him, leaning her head against Reid's shoulder, taking the place Cooper had vacated. She grinned up at him. "I'm happier being a home-body anymore…" she told them.

Spencer kissed her temple, wrapping his arms around her, holding her to his side. "Glad to hear it," he told her with a grin. "I don't think your liver would appreciate too many more nights like this…"

"Nope," she snuggled closer; resting her ear over his heart, listening to it beat steadily.

Spencer felt her slump against him and chuckled.

"And… she's out," he laughed. "I guess I will be carrying her in," he told his friends with a grin.

"Called it," Penny joked, meeting Reid's smile.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Scarlett shut off the vacuum cleaner as she heard her phone ring, cutting over her music. She grabbed the cell from her pocket, answering the call.

"Hey, Cooper- what's up?" she answered after reading the caller id. She opened one of the windows, letting in the fresh air, thankful that the warmer weather had finally started moving in.

Spencer rolled his eyes behind her back while he continued making dinner. Friends or not, Cooper's was seriously getting on his nerves… This was the third time he'd called today…

He watched Scarlett enter the kitchen and tried to hide the scowl from his face. She scooted up onto the counter beside him, catching his hips between her legs, holding him before her. She reached up and touched the furrow on his brow and crooked her finger for him to lean over to her.

Spencer met her lips in a quick kiss and sighed when she held him in place.

"I've got to finish dinner," he told her, pulling back a little.

"Maybe I'm not hungry… for food," she whispered, winking at him.

Reid shook his head and grinned at her. "You are incorrigible, and you have to eat something…" he admonished her, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"Let me finish…" he unlinked her ankles from his hips. Scarlett pouted but released him so he could put the lasagna in the oven. He set the timer and walked away.

Scarlett tuned back into the phone conversation, listening to Cooper- she was trying to be a good friend, but found her mind wandering a bit… especially when she saw Spencer heading into the bedroom…

She followed him, watching as he loaded their dirty clothes into the hamper to take down to wash. When he turned quickly, he bumped into her and jumped.

"Jesus! Scarlett- I swear I'm buying you that freaking bell for your neck…" he picked up the basket that he'd dropped. "You are too quiet for your own good," he complained, throwing the clothes back into the basket.

"Wait a minute," she stopped him before he could leave the room. "I'll help you in a bit…" she offered.

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged. "It's no big deal, crazy girl," he said as he went to grab the other basket from the bathroom.

Scarlett sighed, listening to her phone again, waiting for Cooper to stop talking long enough for her to make an excuse to end the call…

"So I should be down there next week…" was all she heard out of the last few minutes of conversation.

"Wait… what? You are going to be where?" she asked.

"Haven't you been listening to me Red?" Cooper's voice sounded slightly irritated.

"No sorry- I missed that, I'm trying to get some chores done around here," she apologized. "I got sidetracked by laundry…"

"I said, I got an interview with DHS there… so I'll be in your neck of the woods next week. I was hoping if you guys weren't out on a case, maybe you could show me around DC… It'd be cool to catch up with you guys in your hometown…"

"Oh, hey- wow… I didn't even know you were interested or trying to get into Homeland Security, Coop. You're thinking about leaving Chicago's finest, Detective?" she responded.

Spencer heard her comment as he passed the bedroom door and stopped dead.

"What's going on?" he asked her, his brow furrowing in concern.

Scarlett covered the mouthpiece. "Cooper has an interview with DHS, here in Quantico," she told him, shrugging to let him know she had no idea either.

"Well, I put in for it a while ago," Cooper told her. "I never mentioned it, because I wasn't sure it would even go anywhere. But I got the call- they want me to interview for a position. I figured it was worth looking into…"

"Sure… It's got to be a better pay grade, right?" she teased. "I hope we are here," she told him. "Unfortunately I can't make any promises…"

Scarlett saw Reid scowl as he picked up both baskets and headed out the door to take the laundry down the basement. She sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" Cooper asked her, picking up on the sound.

"Nothing, Coop- I really have to go… There's things to do here, and I feel like I'm leaving it all on Spence…" she used the truth to get off the call.

"Alright… I'll give you a call when I get more details and it gets closer to the interview," he told her.

"Cool. Or shoot me a text. I still hate talking on the phone, Coop…"

"I know. I still like annoying you, Red…" he teased.

"Arrrgh. Right… Bye, Cooper…" she rolled her eyes, hoping to find patience.

"Later, Red-bird…"

Scarlett slid her phone back into her pocket and started downstairs to help Spencer sort and load the clothes.

Reid looked over as she stepped down the stairs, relieved to see she was off the phone.

"I told you I'd help," she said as she took the other basket, starting to separate the clothes in it into the piles he'd started.

"And it's still not a big deal," he reminded her, nudging her butt with his hip playfully.

"Hey, now," she smirked. "Don't be starting that, or we won't get any laundry done…" she teased, bumping him back.

Spencer bit on the inside of his cheek, giving her a half grin. "And what if I'm suddenly not worried about doing laundry?" he asked, dropping the clothes in his hands into their proper pile, and nabbing her around the waist.

Scarlett laughed as he swung her up to sit on top of the dryer. Catching his hips between her knees, she looked at him eye level and held him in front of her again.

"Hmm, then I think we should take the baskets back upstairs," she told him, leaning into his kiss. When he deepened the kiss, pulling her hips closer to his, she linked her ankles behind his back and threaded her fingers through his hair. The hum that started in her throat made his blood run hot…

"I want you… now…" he told her as he pulled back, looking into her eyes.

Scarlett cocked a brow at him. "In the basement?" she asked skeptically.

Spencer blushed. "I was thinking more like agreeing about going back upstairs," he admitted. "This is a public laundry, after all. There isn't anything mentioned in the lease specifically prohibiting its use for…"

"Fucking?"

"Sexual activities," he rolled his eyes at her. "But I don't want us to be the reason they make the addendum…"

"You kill me, Reid," she laughed.

"How is that?" he asked, nipping at her bottom lip.

"I don't know, just everything. You make me laugh… you worry about 'addendums'," she giggled. "People have probably done it down here before, ya know…" she teased him.

Spencer took a step back, watching her eyes as Cooper's words from last month came back to circle in his mind. He'd been having a hard time letting them go…

"I'm 'safe'," he told her, his voice flattening.

"Well…" Scarlett shrugged. "I wouldn't say that… you do break your own rules, occasionally. I just like to test your limits once in a while, boy," she gave him a cheeky grin.

"You don't like to play it safe…" he stated, working himself up with his own thoughts.

"I've been known to walk a bit more on the wild side…" she smiled devilishly. "But you know that…"

Scarlett noticed his slight frown as he turned back to start sorting laundry again.

"Hey…" she hopped down off the dryer and stood behind him, touching his arm. "What's this about, Spence?" she asked.

"Nothing…" he shrugged, pulling away from her touch. Scarlett scowled.

"Don't do that," she told him. "Talk to me. Something is bothering you- you just did a complete one-eighty on me…"

When he didn't respond, Scarlett pulled the clothes out of his hands, bumping him away from the baskets. He sighed, letting her push him back.

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to say something.

"I don't want to be safe…" he finally responded. "I don't want to be the reason you stop being you… because you have to keep making adjustments to your personality to deal with my… awkwardness, I guess…" he pouted slightly.

"Because you don't want to fuck in the laundry room? Do you really think it's that big of deal to me Spencer?" she asked, sounding completely confused. "In case you didn't catch my part of the conversation, _I_ was the one who said about taking the baskets back up… I really don't want to get funky amidst dirty laundry, farm boy," she wrinkled her nose and looked around.

Spencer shook his head, trying to make her understand what he was saying.

"No… because I don't _fuck_ ," he told her. "Because I'm not built that way- I don't just jump into anything, I over think, I worry, then I decide, usually for the safer option," he scowled, seeing his own pattern play out in his head.

"And because of that, I'm safe for you- I'll never get you to test your boundaries, because they are so far out of my realm, I'd never even _think_ of them…" he scrubbed at his face, annoyed with himself.

"Reid…" Scarlett huffed out his last name, becoming exasperated with him and the conversation. "Have you heard me complaining about our sex life or about us in general?" she asked him.

He scowled at her. "Don't call me 'Reid'," he complained.

"No, you haven't- because I haven't been…" she said, ignoring him. " _I'm_ not complaining at all… actually, I'm quite content… So what is the issue here? If you don't like being 'safe' then the only one who can change that it you," she narrowed her eyes at him.

"But don't you dare, for one minute, think that you need to change for me… I'm not the one complaining, _you_ are…" she snapped, poking him in the chest.

Spencer grabbed her hand. "No- but…"

"No 'buts'," she poked him again.

"Ow…" he rubbed his sternum. "Stop that."

"Make me…" she said, shoving her finger at him again. He caught her hand in his.

"Scarlett…" he saw the defiant lift of her chin. "Don't…"

"Don't what, farm boy? Don't push you? Why? What are you going to do about it?" she narrowed her eyes at him, backing him up against the washing machine.

Spencer reached over, grabbing her by the hips and swung her back up onto the dryer again. Looking at her face to face, he scowled.

"I said knock it off…" he told her, his eyes holding hers.

Scarlett saw his eyes glitter and locked her legs around his hips.

"And I said… 'make me'…"

She wasn't expecting the heat that blasted through her when he grabbed her waist and locked his lips to her mouth. There was definitely something bothering him, enough to make him push back against her desperately.

Scarlett met his kiss, holding him tighter as he wrapped her hair into his hands, keeping her against him. She squeaked slightly when she felt them move lower to tug at her shorts.

"Umm, no?" she scooted away from his hands.

"Mercy, boy… I'm still not into the surroundings," she edged back some more. The fire in his eyes flared a bit, and he scowled. For a minute, she thought he was going to push the issue…

Instead, he swung her up into his arms, carrying her up the stairs.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Later that evening, Scarlett sat at one end of the couch, looking through her tablet while Spencer stretched out at the other end reading a book. She kept her bare feet tucked against his, rubbing them against his occasionally while she scanned through some pictures.

"What do you think about this?" she asked, moving from her spot to sit beside him. She squeezed her hips between his legs as he lifted the book so she could lean against his chest.

"Mmm? What am I looking at?" he asked, breathing in her scent as she snuggled against him.

Scarlett wiggled closer. "This- I was looking through some ideas for a new tat," she told him, looking up over her shoulder to meet his eyes. "I've narrowed it down to these three…"

Spencer set his chin on her shoulder, kissing her neck lightly as he scanned the pictures.

"They are all pretty nice," he told her. The one was a pentacle, another was a trinity knot and the last was a variation of the two together. He studied the images, meeting her eyes.

"Where were you thinking of getting it?" he asked.

"I was thinking behind my ear, small enough so that it's not too noticeable…" she shrugged.

He kissed the area lightly, grinning when she giggled.

"I don't know what a good idea it is to get inked in a spot where you are ticklish," he teased her, brushing his lips over the spot again when she squirmed.

"Hmm. I hadn't realized I _was_ ticklish there," she laughed, twisting in his arms to pull away from his nipping mouth.

Spencer held her tighter, settling her back against him and stopped teasing her. Bending his knee up, he adjusted his position so he could still read while she stayed in his arms. She scanned the pictures again, adjusting some of the key words on her search and brought up a new set of pictures. He glanced down at the tablet, nudging her.

"That one is cool," he said, pointing out a three dimensional one.

"Right? It's amazing what some of these artists can do," she agreed. "But I don't want anything that big…" she said, leaning on his shoulder.

Scarlett heard the notification sound and opened the application to check the message.

"Ugh."

Spencer looked down and saw her fingers fly across the touch pad. He glanced up at the message and agreed with her sentiment. It was Cooper again.

"What is with him calling and texting all of the time?" he commented, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I don't know," she replied. "I asked him… he said he likes annoying me," she wrinkled her nose. "It's working…" she rolled her eyes.

Reid felt a little better hearing that it was aggravating her too.

"At least it's not just me then," he muttered.

Scarlett stopped at that, her fingers poised over the keys. "It's bothering you…" she stated, not questioned and turned back to look in his eyes.

 _Uh-oh_ … Spencer avoided her gaze, focusing over her head.

"No…" he lied, too quickly. "I, uh, I didn't mean it like that…" he sighed when she scowled at him.

"How did you mean it then, farm boy?"

Her messenger sounded off again and she saw his jaw clench.

"Hey…" she turned in his arms, setting the tablet aside and studied his face.

"Are you _jealous_?" she asked incredulously. "Did I miss something?" Her brows furrowed in concern.

"No- no, Scarlett- nothing… just…" he took a deep breath hearing the tone go off again. Twice.

"Maybe, I'm just over reacting…" he scowled, becoming more irritated.

She saw the hurt in his eyes and felt her anger rise.

"What. Happened." she ground out each word carefully, her eyes narrowed.

She reached over and shut the tablet off when it dinged again.

"Spencer. Answer me. What happened that's got you all worked up?" she asked a bit more gently.

Reid rolled his eyes, scrubbing at his face with his hands, knowing he'd started it now. She wouldn't drop the subject until he gave her an answer.

"Scarlett- I don't want to make a big deal out of anything… I didn't think it would even bother me, because I know he's wrong- but it just seems like it's bothering me… even more, now that he's always calling and texting you constantly- and now he's talking about job interviews in DC for fuck's sake? I mean, what am I supposed to think? He's doing it, on purpose, trying to get under my skin- and I'm letting him, because he's trying to annoy me and it's working…"

Scarlett listened to him rant, heard the strain in his voice as his worries spilled out unfiltered…

"So I'm trying to be a good guy here, and I realize that you've been friends with him for a long time… good friends, even… and I don't want to say something that makes you not be friends… but…" he blew out a breath, looking around the room before he met her eyes again.

"I'm getting pissed off…" he closed his mouth, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"I can see that," she watched the muscle tic in his jaw, and touched it lightly with her thumb. When he closed his eyes, leaning into her hand, she stroked his cheek. Giving him a moment, she leaned against his shoulder, stretching across him and just watched his face. When he opened his eyes again, meeting hers, she could still see frustration there.

"You still haven't told me what set this all off…" she stated calmly, reaching over to brush his hair off his forehead.

"It's not important," he scowled.

"Okay, then- if it's not important, why is it bothering you?" she asked.

"Because… I don't…" he stammered, closing his mouth tightly again. Scarlett sighed.

"Alright, let's do this then. I'll tell you what I'm thinking happened and you can tell me how close I am to the truth…"

When Reid didn't respond, she leaned her chin in her hand, watching his eyes while she continued to trail her fingers over his skin.

"I'm thinking that this all goes back to that day Cooper stopped at Mama's house on Romeo. You already told me then that he'd made the comment about 'taking a bullet for me' which set you off a bit. But I believe there was more to it than just that… seeing as how the two of you have been trading barbs back and forth ever since… I expect stuff like that with Coop… but not with you, so something had to rub you the wrong way," she told him.

When he didn't disagree, she bit her lip, thinking back over those few days and shuffled pieces together.

Spencer watched her eyes as she ran through her memories. They looked distant for a few minutes and then cleared, looking directly into his.

"You think he's making a play for me," she looked at him astonished. "You _are_ jealous- but it's more than that- you're _worried_ …" she scowled at him.

"I don't 'think' he's making a play for you," he corrected her. "He _told_ me he was…" he bit out.

Scarlett raised a brow at that. "Really? And what did you say?" she asked him.

"I told him he didn't know you. I told him I wouldn't step back," he narrowed his eyes, remembering the conversation. With a stressed sigh, he retold her everything that had been said.

When he repeated it to her, word for word, Scarlett realized just how much it was bothering him. He'd memorized the entire thing, and she knew he wouldn't have been able to do that unless he had replayed over and over in his mind. She scowled, at him as much as at Cooper's words.

"At least you didn't try to give me to him this time," she snorted in annoyance.

"I didn't last time either…" he scowled. "And this isn't the same…"

"Yes, it is. It's Cooper. Nothing has changed."

"A lot has changed," he reminded her. "You're my _wife_ now and the mother of my _daughter_ ," he growled out.

"Phht- tell him that, not me, farm boy- I know these things…" she scoffed. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Spencer stopped arguing and looked down at her. "It's not that easy," he pouted slightly. "He won't take the hint…"

"No, again, it's Cooper. You'd be better off 'hinting' at him with a throat punch to get his attention. But my point is, if he's pissing you off- tell him so. Don't take it."

"I don't want to come between you and your friend…" he told her, catching her eyes.

"So you'd rather act all out of joint at me?" she asked.

"I'm not out of joint…" he frowned.

"Yes, babe, you are… Don't tell me that this afternoon's whole conversation about being 'safe' didn't have anything to do with what Coop got stirred into your pretty head," she shot back. "At least I know where that came from now…"

Scarlett felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out. When she looked at the caller ID, she handed it to him.

"Here ya go, sweetie… have at it," she stood up from the couch. "I'm hitting the shower…"

"Scarlett- come on, you're not serious…" he scowled at the phone and then at her back as she left the room, waving a hand behind her.

"I want no part of you boys beating on your chests over this insanity. You handle it… however you want," she called back to him.

The phone kept ringing as Spencer stood to follow her. It finally stopped when he reached the bedroom doorway.

"You might as well answer it, Spence- he'll just keep calling back…" she told him as she stripped out of her clothes and walked over to the bathroom.

He scowled darkly as the ringtone started again. Rolling his eyes, he braced himself for the next few minutes of conversation and hit accept.

"Reid…" he answered, standing in the doorway of the bathroom, watching Scarlett get in the shower. She grinned evilly at him as she closed the curtain.

"Hey, where's Red?" Cooper's voice reached his ears.

"She's not available," he said, his tone flat.

"Crap. I wanted her opinion on something- maybe you can help… Should I wear a suit to that interview, or what?" Cooper asked easily.

"What?" Spencer scowled.

"You know, a real suit type get up or my usual jeans and a button down?"

Spencer sighed. "Cooper, why do you keep calling and messaging Scarlett?" he asked, taking the lead in the conversation.

"Uhhh, because I don't want to screw this up?" he responded easily.

"This what?" Spencer nervously tapped his fingers on his thigh, thinking Cooper was talking about his chance of getting Scarlett.

"The interview? Dude, I thought Scarlett told you…"

"She told me you were coming to DC, for DHS, yeah- What I want to know is why," he pushed.

The phone remained silent for a moment and Spencer became more agitated as the seconds passed.

He nearly dropped the phone when he heard Cooper's laugh.

"Reid- you think this is about Scarlett? God- you must've really pissed her off if she left you twisting this long… Forget it; I'm staying out of this one…"

Spencer stepped back into the bedroom. "What are you talking about, Cooper…" he ground out.

"Kid, she told me off back before you guys ever even left Chicago… said something about your friend JJ pointed out to her that we were taking swipes at each other or something… I don't know. But anyway, she went up one side of me and down the other, telling me in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't put up with us acting like that… and that I could either realize that she loves you and be her friend or she'd go back to not talking to me again…"

Reid heard Cooper's chuckle. "I picked the first choice…" he told Spencer.

"But, seriously- I had figured it out for myself, before she ripped into me- when I was watching you take your kid for a spin on the bike. I was talking to Derek, and he made me see what I'd missed. He made me see that you were right, I don't know her. I may know Red, the party girl, but dude, I have no idea who your wife is- so I guess everything worked out like it should, her being with you and all, I mean…"

Spencer looked through the bathroom door as Scarlett got out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around herself then grabbed one for her hair and picked up her head, meeting his eyes.

"And she told you all that before we left Chicago? Weeks ago?" he clarified, speaking loudly enough for Scarlett to hear him. She grinned viciously.

"Ah, yeah, buddy- I think you actually made it to the top of her shit list if she's been holding that bit of info back. You actually thought that my calling her today and coming to DC was because…"

"Yeah," he snapped. "I gotta go, Cooper. I need to deal with my wife…"

Cooper's laughter filled his ear. "Good luck with that, Reid…" he chuckled as he hung up the call.

Spencer tucked the phone into his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorjamb as Scarlett worked the detangler into her curls. She caught his eyes in the mirror.

"Something you want to tell me, Katy Scarlett?" he asked, watching her face.

Scarlett held up one finger.

"You called him my _boyfriend_ ," she wrinkled her nose at his reflection. "On. A. Case. _Reid_ …"

She held up her second finger….

"You had the _audacity_ to not tell me what was bothering you until _today_? You had it memorized, for fuck's sake, so God only knows how many times you thought about it, but instead of talking to me, you stewed about it… and Morgan and JJ had to tell me something was up between you two?" she turned on him, fire lighting her eyes.

She put up the third finger and wiggled them at him.

"Then- when you finally do tell me _today_ what's been bothering you, it's only after you have yourself _convinced_ that Coop is coming all the way out here, because of me?" she stalked towards him, nudging him back towards the wall with her fingers.

He backed up a step. "When you put it that way, it sounds pretty bad for me…" he admitted.

"Does it now?" she asked haughtily.

"I guess I deserved the nudge…"

"You deserved a bop in the head," she scowled. "But I decided to see how you'd play it out…" she pushed past him into the bedroom.

"So you left me twisting, like Cooper said…" he turned to follow her.

"Twisting sounds a bit harsh. Everything you did, you did to yourself," she reminded him.

Spencer thought about that for a minute. "I twisted myself up…" he reiterated.

"Bingo… give the man a cookie," she snarked, dropping the towel and climbing into bed.

Naked.

Spencer swallowed against the lump in his throat.

"Are you going to tell me to sleep on the couch?" he asked her, his voice wary.

Scarlett laughed, the throaty sound sending a heat into his blood.

"That would be too easy for you," she grinned, patting the bed beside her. "Come to bed, farm boy…" she crooked her finger towards him.

He scowled. "Are you still mad?" he asked, moving closer, slowly.

Her smile was feral.

"A little, but you can try to talk me out of it," she teased.

"Talk?" he asked, leaning over towards her.

"Hmm. Unless you have another idea," she offered him her throat.

Spencer nipped lightly over her exposed skin, working up to her lips. He deepened the kiss when she didn't pull away.

"How exactly do I get off the top of your shit list?" he asked, angling back a bit, giving her a sheepish grin.

"Let's say you're working on it," she smiled, pulling him down on top of her.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

 _The next few chapters are loosely based on GateKeeper- because who didn't love this MGG episode where we get to see Reid deliver a baby? LOL… All dialogue set within the episode is the property of the fabulous writers of Criminal Minds, I only made adjustments to add in my original character and situational changes to fit with my storyline. I hope you all are enjoying "Loving Scarlett" and please leave reviews! They seriously make me smile! ~Becky_

Spencer sat in the nearly empty bar across from Rossi, sipping on his iced tea and lemonade. He'd taken up Dave's offer to join him after work for a drink while Scarlett was meeting with her therapist, hoping to get some advice from his friend.

He explained a little about what had happened between them, and Dave shook his head.

"Look, Reid, I'm not sure if I'm the best guy to be giving out marriage counselling," Rossi joked. "But it sounds to me like you two are handling things pretty well…"

Reid shrugged. "I just thought maybe you had some suggestions on how to keep off of her shit list… I've heard you say you've been on your ex's own a few times," he grinned back.

"Scarlett is still talking to you," he lifted his glass to Spencer. "My shit list experiences more involved talking between lawyers!" Dave laughed. "But I will tell you this; it sounds like you can be your own worst enemy…" he winked.

Spencer gave him a half grin and saluted him back. "Yeah, I got that…"

Reid heard the karaoke singer in the background hit particularly bad note and flinched, looking around the bar again.

"Why did you choose this bar, Rossi? No offense, but this place is kind of a dump…" Reid met Dave's eyes.

"Right over there," Rossi sighed, becoming nostalgic and pointing to a corner table. "That's where I saw Caroline the first time…"

"Back then, this was the place to be, it was a Marine hang out- all the big names came here…" Dave told him. "Creedence, the Eagles, Chicago… They played for us jar-heads," he smiled at the memories.

"What was Caroline doing here?"

"Waiting for Ringo," Dave grinned at Reid's look of disbelief. "Beatle-mania was no joke; it would make the women crazy. She wrote them a letter every week, begging the band to visit here…"

"Did they ever come?" Spencer asked with a slight grin.

"Ringo did, after his divorce- but luckily Caroline met me first, and that's how we all became friends," he smiled at Reid. Dave looked up as the owner of the bar came over to their table, bringing them another round of drinks.

"Devil's Honey for Dave, and another Arnold Palmer for the kid," the woman teased, setting the drinks on the table.

"Thanks," Spencer grinned, putting his straw into the new glass. He heard Rossi's phone go off, notifying him of a text.

"Ugh, on second thought, Helen… That's Garcia," Dave looked across the table to Spencer.

"So much for a night off," Reid sighed.

"You'd better bring us the bill," Rossi said to the woman.

"Okay- that'll be ten bucks," she told him.

"No, you can charge us for the drinks we didn't have…"

Helen shrugged. "Everything is marked down 'til it's all gone," she told him, indicating a sign at the bar that explained the Benjamin was closing its doors for good.

"Oh, no…" Rossi looked from the sign to meet his friend's eyes. "You can't close… this place is history!"

"Unfortunately, Dave, history doesn't pay the bills," she told him.

Dave sighed heavily. "Marines used to be big business," he lamented.

"Still are," Helen shrugged. "That's why three new bars opened across the street… What's that thing they say about competition?" she asked.

"It breeds success…" Reid offered.

"It sucks," she corrected him with sad smile.

Rossi stood up, handing Helen the payment. "Here, keep the change," he told her.

She took the money, folding it into her hand. "Thanks, Dave," she nodded.

Rossi looked around the room once more as Spencer got to his feet.

"I really hate to see the place go," he admitted sadly. Reid met his friend's gaze and saw the real grief in his eyes.

They grabbed a cab back to the office, and Spencer sent Scarlett a text, explaining they'd gotten a case.

 _Already got Pens text,_ came her response. _Am here with her now, brought our go bags._

He followed Rossi into the room and saw Scarlett leaning over discussing something with JJ. Penelope saw them enter and stood up to brief the team.

She hit the clicker, bringing up the images from her computer to the screen behind her.

"Okay, so- Beantown has turned into 'Chokeville'…" she started. "Three male victims, wallets stolen."

"The unsub uses a garrote to strangle his victims, he strikes at night, and there have been no witnesses…" Hotch stated, filling them in with some more details.

"How much did he get?" Dave asked.

"Well, it's odd- each of the victims socioeconomically are lower to middle class. It's doubtful there would have been much cash, and there haven't been any attempts on any of the credit cards," Hotch explained.

Scarlett scanned through her tablet, memorizing details. "So the murders may not be about money, at all. Taking the wallets maybe a forensic counter measure to delay victim identification," she stated.

"That may be the sitch with the first two victims," Garcia added, "but the last victim, Scott Delfino, was on the phone with his roommate when he was attacked. Phone cut out, unexpectedly, repeated call backs went straight to voice mail," she told her.

"And Delfino's body was found less than an hour later. Indications show that he'd been blitzed," Hotch added.

"Which speaks to the killer's preparation but also desperation," Spencer interjected. "He chose a location to lay in wait, but wasn't able to adapt to a target on the phone…"

"That could be his arrogance getting in the way, making his organization appear mixed," JJ said. "To me, that screams false confidence…"

Morgan agreed. "Which means the desperation is what's driving him. It's not about the kills, it about what the murders represent."

"He's mission oriented," Scarlett followed the train of thought. "He doesn't _want_ to kill them, but feels he _has_ to."

"Which indicates the unsub has no personal connection to his victims," Dave stated.

"Except strangulation as a kill method is extremely personal," Scarlett mentioned. "He's holding onto the victim's, feeling them take their last breaths…"

Spencer looked across the table at her words, watching her face. He knew she had to be thinking about what they'd gone through back in Chicago with the McGowan's case.

Scarlett met his eyes, feeling him looking at her. She held his gaze, showing him that she wasn't having any trouble with flashbacks. The worried look left his face and she smiled at him softly.

"What if taking the wallets is a form of _de_ personaliztion?" Derek commented. "He could be stripping the victims of their identities."

"Which means he may feel stripped of his own," Spencer added. "If he's taking the wallets as trophies, he may be seeking recognition for his work."

"And he may not stop killing until he gets that recognition," Hotch agreed with Reid's assessment. He stood up from the table. "Let's go…" he told his team.

Scarlett grabbed her tablet and charger, stuffing them into her bag. Reid stepped around the desk, going to her side.

"Hey…" he looked down at her. "How'd things go?' he asked.

"Good…" she shouldered the bag, reaching under the table for their go bags. Reid took them from her, tossing them over his own shoulder along with his satchel.

Spencer waited to see if she'd offer anything more, and when she didn't he changed the subject.

"Do you know any of the history about that bar where Rossi and I went tonight?" he asked her.

Scarlett scanned her memory for the name and details. "The Benjamin? It was a very popular spot in the sixties and seventies… I heard that some of the greats played there at one time or another… Hey, that's where Rossi met Ringo, right?" she smiled.

"Yeah… I know you're dying to ask him for an intro too," he teased. Scarlett stuck out her tongue at him.

"I can't help it if I'm somewhat of a fangirl," she laughed. "Besides, who wouldn't be impressed with the fact that Dave is actually friends with the drummer from the freaking Beatles," she rolled her eyes.

Spencer didn't mention that he hadn't even known who Ringo Starr was until Scarlett had gone ballistic over Rossi's picture in his office, and the subsequent knowledge of the friendship. He'd heard her 'fangirl' over it for days…

"Well, the place is closing its doors…"

"Oh, no…" she commented sadly.

"Yeah, Rossi is kind of depressed over it too," he said. "I was thinking, maybe we could plan something, like a last great blow out or something, to give it a send-off…"

"That's a sweet idea, Spence," she told him, touched that he'd want to do that for Dave. "I'd bet he'd like that. I'm sure we could fill the place."

"I figured, between you and Garcia, you'd do exactly that," he grinned.

"Okay, cool," she nodded, pulling out her phone. "I'll ask her to get started on it…"

"Their last night is Saturday, from what the sign said," he mentioned, reading it again in his mind.

"Got it," she added that to her note to Penny and hit send. "We'll do it up right," she said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

Spencer linked his fingers through hers, holding her hand through the halls, and heading towards the parking lot. Their ride was already waiting to take them to the airstrip…


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Once the team was in the air, heading towards Boston, they continued working the profile.

"Ryan Maxford worked as a counselor for a local boy's home and Scott Delfino worked at Dynamo Industries, which is an international pharmaceutical firm," Garcia was filling in some details via the video link to the jet.

"Besides gender, the victimology varies. He doesn't care about age or race," JJ stated.

"He blends in and is most likely unassuming," Rossi noted.

"Yet he had no problem taking down a six five, two hundred and fifty pound man. Maxford was a former football all-american…" Morgan read the details from his screen.

"Which probably rules out our unsub is a woman who hates men theory…" JJ added. "It'd be hard to gain leverage on these guys…"

Reid looked at the pages on table in front of him, reading his own hard copies that Garcia printed for him.

"Katy could," he disagreed, not wanting to completely rule out the possibility.

JJ smirked slightly. "I guess he's probably not wrong…"

Scarlett only shrugged, biting the side of her thumb as she re-read the ME reports. "It would depend on my motivation…"

"True," Rossi grinned. "And hatred of men could not be far off. Even if our unsub is a male, he could be harboring resentments… the victims could be surrogates."

"For someone else? Or the unsub himself?" Scarlett asked.

Derek shook his head. "It's too early to tell. If the unsub does feel stripped of his own identity, he could be trying to make these men appear the same way."

"He could be recognizing a behavioral trait in the victims, consistent with the object of his rage, which is triggering him to kill," Reid suggested.

"We need to determine where he is finding his victims," Hotch stated.

"Geographically speaking, none of the victims live near each other, but they all were killed downtown, which is where the unsub likes to operate," Reid offered.

"That fits with where Maxford works, but not the other two victims," Scarlett stated.

"His area of control, while relatively small includes various residential and commercial buildings…" Reid squinted slightly, recalling details in his mind. "Factoring in a three mile radius in a city with a population of six hundred thirty-six thousand four hundred and seventy-nine over forty-eight point two eight square miles means there are approximately thirty nine thousand five hundred and forty nine point two three people living in his comfort zone," Spencer rattled out in what Scarlett would jokingly call his 'speed-Reid' voice.

Scarlett bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from grinning. Morgan noticed, throwing a question at Reid.

"How many of those are males?"

Reid didn't even blink. "Eighteen thousand nine hundred and forty four point oh eight," he stated, without thinking. He looked over at the look Derek exchanged with Scarlet. He huffed out a breath and blushed. Scarlett reached her foot over and nudged his leg, giving him a grin. Spencer rolled his eyes at her but returned her smile.

"Garcia, start with the victims known associates, we need a list of everyone who lives and works down town…"

"On it," Penelope's voice came over the speakers. "I'm a genius too," she pouted, sticking her tongue out as she signed off. Morgan laughed at her response.

"Morgan, JJ and I will go to the field offices and start with Garcia's list," Hotch set up the dispersion of duties for when they arrived. "Dave, you go to the ME's office and see if they have anything to offer us. Scarlett and Reid, you two go to the crime scene where Scott Delfino's body was found… his roommate is waiting to talk to you there."

"Is that a good idea? Talking to him where his friend was murdered?" Scarlett asked, concerned.

"Apparently he is insisting on it. Boston PD said he won't leave until you do," Hotch told her.

"Okay…" she shrugged, looking over Scott's file again, memorizing the details.

Spencer pulled out his own copies, moving to sit next to her when the team left to their own seats.

"You want me to read the details to you?" he asked, knowing that it would be easier for her to remember every word that way.

Scarlett smiled, nudging his shoulder. "I'm all ears, farm boy," she teased, closing her eyes to avoid distractions. She let the words file into her mind, locking them in forever.

When they arrived on the crime scene a few hours later, it was completely dark in the small alley way where they were to meet with the roommate.

Scarlett saw the man still sitting on a low wall, waiting for them. Spencer lifted the police tape for her to cross over towards him.

"Ben Harrison?" she asked and the man looked up at them.

"Yes, you two are the FBI?" he asked.

"I am Agent Scarlett Ryan and this is Dr. Spencer Reid," she introduced them. "You know, we didn't have to do this, here. We could have talked back at the FBI field offices," she told the man, seeing the grief etched onto his face.

The man shook his head.

"I had to see where it happened. I- I was talking to him one second and then… that's it. He's gone… right here is where Scotty's story ends," he said sadly, looking around.

Spencer looked around also, taking in the scene itself. "Scotty must have been coming from the east, or otherwise the unsub's position would have been exposed," he said quietly to Scarlett. She watched his eyes scan the area again, knowing he was seeing the actions-and how they could have played out- in his mind. She saw a question move into his gaze.

"But?" she asked, nudging him on, asking him to finish his thoughts.

"That avenue offers three different directions to head, in lieu of this alley way. So, how did the unsub know that Scotty would choose this particular one?" he pointed out.

Scarlett looked back over at the roommate. "You told the police that he had met a girl last night, so walking home this way wouldn't be a part of his regular routine, right?" she asked the man.

"No," he shook his head.

Reid looked down at Scarlett. "When plotting a blitz attack with varying avenues of approach, what do you do?" he asked her.

"Eliminate the variables," she answered. "Strike as close to the point of origin or the destination."

"But Scotty was still miles away from home…" Reid stated.

"So the woman he met must live nearby…" Scarlett understood. She turned to Ben again. "Do you have any idea who she was?" she asked.

"Only that her name was Ashley, and that she had a thing for bunnies," he shook his head. "Don't ask, but that was the last thing he said to me, before…"

"Do you know where they met?" Scarlett tried to help the man stay focused.

"I don't know, we were watching the game at the Purple Shamrock, but I had to bail, I had to pick up my girlfriend from her work…"

"Do you think Scotty stayed there? Would he have ventured elsewhere after you left?" Reid asked.

"I don't know. There are so many other bars in the area, and Scotty had a tendency to, uh… wander…"

"With women, you mean?" Scarlett asked gently.

"Let's just say, it wasn't often that he slept alone," he stated with a shrug.

"Did that rub anyone the wrong way?" she wanted to know.

"Not to anyone who knew him," Ben said. "He was too good of a guy not to like…"

Spencer caught Scarlett's eyes and she nodded.

"Thank you for your time, Ben. Trust me, we will do everything we can to bring in the person you murdered your friend," she took his hand as he stood, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"If you think of anything else, no matter how small, here is the number to reach me," Spencer told him as he handed the younger man his business card.

"Right, okay… Can I call to see if… to just follow up?" he asked.

"Of course," Reid told him. "My cell phone is on there also… I'll answer," he promised.

Scarlett followed Spencer back to the agency's SUV, talking on the phone to Hotch.

"Right, we are heading back to the field office now," she told him, taking the driver's seat as Spencer held the door for her. She linked her phone to the bluetooth, waiting for Spencer to buckle his belt before starting the car.

"Hotch said everything we learned about Scotty sounds pretty consistent with what they've determined about the other victims. Each had their faults, but were all such nice guys, their friends found it easy to forgive them…" she told Reid, calling Penelope.

Spencer heard their friend pick up the call.

"Do you know Katy-bird, exactly how many Ashley's are in the Boston area? Don't answer that Reid," she warned him. "It's 'too many'- there are 'too many' Ashley's and the only thing I have to go on is that she has a penchant for bunnies?" she groused.

Scarlett lifted a brow and grinned at Spencer but said nothing.

"So I cross referenced receipts with local pet stores and nada, which, by the way- just because she likes bunnies, that doesn't mean she _has_ bunnies… I like unicorns but I don't _have_ a unicorn," Penelope continued her tirade.

"Ugh," Penny huffed out an exasperated breath. "I feel like I'm being led on a wild goose chase filled with wild geese and _bunnies_ …" she growled.

"Come on, sweetie," Scarlett encouraged her. "What about Scott's phone? He probably entered Ashley's phone number into it…"

"Arrgh, I know- I thought of that, but the phone was smashed in the attack, and I checked his cloud server, his contacts hadn't updated yet…" she sighed heavily.

"We need to find her Pens. If she can identify the unsub, she may be in danger…"

"I know! I know!" They could hear her fingers clicking at high speed along the keyboard as she spoke. "But… Just, you know what? Have them send me his phone. I may be able to get some information off of it anyway…"

"Okay, we'll tell them as soon as we get inside, I'm pulling into the parking lot, now," Scarlett told her.

"And Penelope; is there any way we can have Scotty's calls forwarded to one of our phones? We may catch a break and this Ashley will call us…" Spencer added.

"Ohh, you are the smart one," Penny teased. "Good idea, Boy Wonder… I'll have it forwarded starting right, now…" they heard more clicks on the keyboard.

"Done," Garcia said. "I'll hit you up if I find anything. PG out…" Garcia ended the call.

Spencer reached for Scarlett's hand, holding it until they reached the office doors. He kissed her cheek quickly, releasing her as he opened the door and let her inside.

Dave was updating them all on his information from the ME's office.

"He's using common household items for the garrotes," he explained, "becoming more efficient with each kill. And he's taking a lock of hair from each victim."

"That doesn't sound like it's impersonal," JJ stated. "He wants to remember each victim…"

Reid turned as the door behind him opened again and one of the local agents entered the room.

"We have another victim… a young boy…" the man scowled.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Rossi watched as the coroner wheeled the gurney out the apartment door.

"His friend called it in, he lives in the apartment down the street." Dave stated.

"What kind of mission involves killing a teenaged boy?" Scarlett scowled darkly.

"Normally, I'd think this was a devolution of the unsub's psyche…" he replied.

"He killed Jake in his own home; it's the first time he's come inside… Why?" Hotch asked.

"We've been canvassing the area pretty heavily. He could be adapting to increased police activity…" Scarlett stated.

"It was a low risk victim killed in his own home… It feels like he knew nobody would be home," Hotch added.

"So he's stalking not only Jake, but his family too?" Scarlett wondered.

"As well as all his other victims," Rossi threw in to the mix.

"He can't be watching everyone at once," Hotch scowled.

"Maybe he's been planning this longer than we'd thought," Scarlett mentioned.

"The time between kills is getting shorter. But there is no indication that he is deriving any increased pleasure from them," Rossi stated.

"Well, it would make sense if he was seeing increased pressure from an outside agency. Maybe he has a deadline…" Hotch offered. He looked over at Scarlett. "I want you to take Reid and interview the friend. He said he was video chatting with Jake. It may be that he saw something that can help us…"

"Right," Scarlett headed back out of the apartment, and found Spencer speaking to one of the local agents. She waited until he was finished before approaching him.

"There aren't any visible signs of forced entry," he told her as she stepped up to him. "I don't know how helpful that can be in narrowing any possible subjects, but it may be someone who had access to the building…"

"Hotch wants us to talk to Jake's friend, Colin. He witnessed the attack over the video chat. Maybe we can get lucky there and the kid saw something…" Scarlett hoped.

"Right," Reid pushed his hair back out of his eyes. When it all fell right back over his forehead, he sighed, blowing at it in annoyance. "I think I need to get this cut again," he frowned.

Scarlett looked up at his face and grinned. "It is getting a bit long again, farm boy. I can tie it back for you if you'd like…" she offered.

He stopped on the stairs just below her and nodded. "Just, out of my face… if you can," he asked, waiting for her to pull it back.

She reached into her hip pocket and pulled out a small elastic band. Pulling the top of his hair back into a small stub, she was able to keep it out of his face.

Spencer couldn't see it over his eyes anymore and threw a look back to Scarlett. "How bad does it look?" he asked.

Touching the back of his hair, she leaned over his shoulder.

"It's fine, babe, it makes you look sort of hipster, actually," she teased and laughed when Spencer rolled his eyes.

They walked together over to the witness's apartment building, entering past the main gates into the courtyard. Something caught Reid's attention, and he stopped.

"What?" Scarlett asked, looking into the direction of his gaze.

"This building has security cameras," he mentioned, showing her where one was mounted pointing at the gates. "I didn't notice any in the other building."

"Maybe our unsub was familiar enough to know that…"

Scarlett took the lead when they entered the apartment, talking to Colin's mother first as Spencer looked around the rest of the apartment, paying special attention to the views from the windows. She followed the mother into Colin's room, to speak to the teen where he was most comfortable. She took in the typical boy's room in a glance, noticing that the young man had tucked his feet up under himself and was sitting in the middle of the bed. Home was comfort and safety to him, she noted, just as she also noticed that his mother stayed close by, should her son need her.

This was a good family. And this young kid was never going to see the world in the same way after what he'd witnessed.

Scarlett shook herself mentally, keeping a soft smile on her face when she approached the boy.

"Colin?" she spoke gently, moving to sit in a desk chair at the bottom of his bed to face him.

He looked up and met her eyes.

"I'm Agent Scarlett Ryan, with the BAU department with the FBI. My team is working the case involving your friend Jake's murder."

She wanted Colin to hear the titles, to let him realize that someone was handling this tragedy very seriously.

"BAU?" the boy asked.

"Behavioral Analysis Unit," she told him the meaning behind the acronym. "We investigate murders to help the local police department catch killers and get them off the streets as quickly as possible, before they hurt anyone else…"

"You can help us, Colin, if you don't mind answering a few questions? Your mom said it was okay for us to talk to you- and she's right here if you need her," Scarlett told him.

"I'm okay… I want to help- any way I can," the boy offered.

"Okay, thank you," she smiled slightly. "You'll be a big help, I promise."

Scarlett began asking him questions leading up to when the incident occurred. She asked sometimes the same thing in a different way, trying to jog the boy's memory, to pull out any little detail that may help lead them to a clue.

"And you're sure you didn't catch a glimpse of him?" she asked Colin about the angle of the video feed he was watching when he'd said he'd saw someone behind Jake.

He shook his head. "Just some movement in the background," he told her. "I tried to warn Jake, but…"

"Did Jake see who was there? Did he say anything to you?"

"He saw him… he- the guy was _right_ _there_ ," he emphasized. "And Jake was _so_ scared… I can't get his face out of my head…"

Scarlett looked over to the boy's mother who was standing in the doorway and gave her a sympathetic look. Tears rolled down Colin's face.

"It's okay," she told him gently. "I just have one more question. Do you think you can handle that?" she asked.

When the boy nodded and said 'yeah' she continued.

"Okay- did Jake seem like he recognized the man in his house?" Scarlett saw him contemplate the question seriously.

"Yeah- yeah… he knew him… I could see it on his face. But he didn't say who it was…"

"Just because you recognize someone, it doesn't necessarily mean you know them," Scarlett told him. "It could simply have been someone Jake routinely passes on the street," she leaned forward a bit, holding Colin's gaze with hers.

"Whoever he is… we are going to get him," she told him. Colin kept her eyes locked to his and saw her promise there, along with the resolve. He nodded, wiped at his face and nodded again.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," she told him. She stood and started to exit the room, and Colin called out to her.

"Agent Ryan?"

She turned back to meet his face again.

"Have you ever been shot?" he asked her. Scarlett looked confused at his question.

"Why do you ask?"

"I just can't stop thinking about how it felt… Did it hurt a lot, when Jake died?" he asked.

Scarlett thought a moment about how to best answer that. "You don't need to worry about that. Jake wasn't shot…" she refused to mention how the boy had died. The less Colin knew the better off he would be…

Colin looked at her, his eyes questioning. "Then what was the flash I saw?"

She shook her head, wondering about that herself. She met Reid in the front of the living room, staring out the window.

"I think I have a theory," he told her, studying the other windows outside in his view.

Nodding, she could see where his mind was going, and the thought of what Colin could have seen flash also fit with the profile.

"We need to talk to Hotch…" she told him.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Back at the police station the team delivered the profile.

"The unsub we are looking for is a dangerous voyeur, who feeds off the thrill of knowing that his victims can't see him…" Hotch explained to the officers and detectives who gathered inside the office.

"Typically, voyeurs are non-violent and content to remain by-standers," Spencer added, looking around the room. "But this one is different, he is on a mission that includes taking action," he clarified.

"And in that mission, he did not hesitate to kill a teenaged boy. Anyone who stands between him and his goal is at risk…" Hotch added.

"We believe he is documenting his work. He's taking pictures and collects personal connections to his victims- their wallets and their hair…" Scarlett stated. "It's important for him to have proof of what he is doing…"

"Voyeurs like to create fantasies in their heads of what the objects of their obsessions should be like," Morgan explained.

"He creates a character identity instead of a reality. And when a person steps outside of the parameters that the unsub has set for them, he strikes…" Rossi added.

"This unsub appears to be triggered by males showing what he perceives to be as character flaws," JJ said. "Seemingly innocuous infractions to us are magnified in the unsub's psychosis."

"Based on the planning and sophistication of the kills we believe the unsub to be in his late thirties to early forties," Hotch told them.

"The geographical profile tells us that the unsub is not only dumping the bodies downtown, but that he is hunting there too," Spencer added.

"So this is where we need to redouble our efforts- go building to building, door to door…" Morgan expressed the importance of the diligence. "This guy is a fly on the wall; he is able to gain access to secrets without anyone even knowing he is there."

"He will have a job with very little social interaction, but that lets him observe without being questioned. We need to look into service workers, groundskeepers… anyone who can watch unnoticed…" Scarlett added.

"And we have to act quickly. He is reaching some sort of perceived deadline. The closer it gets; the more erratic and dangerous he will become," Hotch finished. "Thank you," he addressed the room. The officers dispersed, leaving the station to follow the team's instructions.

Morgan moved to Scarlett's side as his phone rang with Penelope's ring tone. He answered the call, putting her on speaker.

"Talk to me Baby Girl…" he said.

"You better plan on getting down on one knee, because this BG Boo just earned herself on hell of a diamond…" she told him. "Wait, I already got that," she giggled, making Scarlett grin.

"What did you find, Garcia?" Reid asked.

"Scott Delfino's phone is a hot mess- data scrambled like eggs on a Sunday morning… and I can feel your smoldering 'get to the point' stares from here, so I will…" she took a breath.

"If the name 'Ashley' is on Scott's phone, I can't find it," she said in a sing song voice.

"Penny, this is sounding more and more like cubic zirconia to me, sweetheart," Scarlett told her.

"Bite your pretty tongue," she scoffed. "I didn't stop at the first rejection- I did what you guys do and I profiled the guy. Scotty is a ladies man… so…lots of girls, lots of names and numbers, so- what's a playa to do, playa?" she asked Derek. He grinned.

"He gave her a nickname…"

"Baby Girl is already taken…" Penelope laughed. "But Bunny wasn't… so…"

"Tell me you got a number," Morgan asked.

"Of course I did, and so do you, sending it… now," she told him. "TTFN boys and girl," she signed off.

Rossi came back into the office, looking for them. "We've got another body…" he told them. Morgan left a message on the voicemail for Ashley's number that Garcia had sent them while they followed the officers.

"He killed a woman this time," Dave observed as they arrived on scene, looking over the body.

"She's also the first one he's covered one up. This is remorse. She wasn't part of the plan…" Hotch added.

"Which is why he moved the body. She wasn't killed here…"

Scarlett bent closer to look over the girl's neck. "The garrote was used post mortem," she told them. "The COD seems to be blunt force trauma to the back of the head."

"He didn't do a good job covering this up," Dave mused, looking over the crime scene.

"He is panicking. If we find where she was killed, we'll find him…"

"Except no one knows who she is- no id, just a phone…"

"There is a message…" Dave said, hitting the play back button. Scarlett listened to the message she'd heard Derek leave just about an hour ago.

"This is Ashley," she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and called Penelope.

"I need you to trace a phone, Pens, and I'm sending you a crime scene picture," she warned her friend. "We found Ashley… but we need to know an address, asap…"

"Okay… okay," she could tell Garcia was bracing herself to open the picture. "Ohhh, I was too late with the number?" she lamented.

"No, honey- she was placed here a while ago. You didn't even have Scotty's phone yet- don't do that to yourself…" she chided her.

"Right, okay… address…"

"Her name is Ashley Fouladi, a grad student at BC, her bills, including rent and the phone is under her father's name, which is why we couldn't find it…"

"You have an address, Pens?"

"Yup- I sent it to your phones… and thanks, Katy-bird, for the pep talk," she said.

"Always sweetie… I wouldn't let you down my very best girl, now would I? Love ya…"

"Love ya too," Penny grinned slightly. "You are my best girl too, you know."

Scarlett grinned and looked down at her phone for the address.

"I know… Wait- Penny is this right? 2410 Boyelston St.? That's the same address where Spence and I interviewed Colin Kirkland, the boy who witnessed his friends murder," she stated, heading over to where Morgan and Reid where standing by the SUV.

"What?" Reid caught her gaze as she scowled, putting the phone on speaker.

"Yes, that's right- they're neighbors…" Penelope told them. "Same building different floors," she explained.

"Ashley wasn't meant to be killed," Reid said, seeing the pattern now, clearly. "But the guy she was seeing, Scotty was murdered…"

"Right, and Ashley's neighbor, Colin wasn't a target, but his friend in the other building was…"

"This unsub isn't stalking the people he kills, he's stalking the people who live in that building. All of his victims must have interacted with someone residing there…"

"So, uh, how does he choose who he kills?" Garcia asked.

"Alright, let's look at what we know so far… Ashley comes home with a womanizer, who the unsub then kills…" Scarlett reviewed out loud. "Colin was playing with a video game he wasn't supposed to have… the unsub killed the boy who gave it to him…"

"He's targeting bad influences," Morgan agreed.

"He sees himself as a protector…" Reid stated.

"Or as a parent," Scarlett told him. "He's keeping the people under 'his roof' safe…"

"Which means he probably suffered a past loss," Spencer nodded.

"One he blames himself for," Scarlett added. "We have to check all employees of the complex Pens. Don't exclude anyone, but see if anyone fits the profile and suffered some sort of loss- maybe even a child…"

"We need to talk to them," Derek said, calling Hotch to tell him what they found out. Scarlett and Reid followed him as he slid into the SUV, heading over to the apartment complex.

The man who was at the desk for night shift stood up as they walked in and showed their badges.

"Agents," he said, sounding a bit startled when they flashed their badges. "How can I help you?"

Derek stepped forward. "One of your residents, Ashley Fouladi was murdered tonight," Morgan stated.

Reid studied the man closely for his reactions. His face registered disbelief, shock and then sadness in quick succession. He looked over at Scarlett and shook his head. This man wasn't their unsub…

"We need to ask you a few questions," Morgan stated, noting the same reactions Reid had.

"Wow. Wow- that's horrible," the clerk said softly.

"Did you happen to notice anything strange here tonight?" Spencer asked.

"No, no- but I just got here. The regular guy called me to fill in. He had a family emergency or something," he told him.

"Did you interact with her earlier today? Was she with anyone?" Morgan asked him.

"She wasn't with anyone… She was asking me today to see our visitor's logs. She was looking for a friend of hers phone number. I sent her up to our storage room…" he told them honestly.

"Can you show us?" Scarlett asked.

"Yeah- of course… it's right this way…"

The man picked up a set of keys and led them upstairs. Scarlett followed behind them, unstrapping the holster of her gun when she caught the odor of bleach through the stairwell. She noticed Morgan and Reid shift to lead in front of the man as they reached the door. They drew their guns and entered the room while she stayed to the back to guard the rear.

Scarlett released a slow breath as she heard her brother call the clear signal. She entered the room herself as they reholstered their weapons. Reid pulled out a glove from his back pocket and headed over to a low desk. He started to flip through the pages of a book that lay open on top…

"Somebody has been living up here," Derek said, catching Scarlett's nod as she also scanned the room.

"And it looks like he's making some sort of collage or scrapbook or something," Spencer added, leafing through the pages. It was full of baby pictures and family mementoes.

"He's got a view of the courtyard and half a dozen apartments from here. He can see who is coming and going all day long…" Scarlett told them, looking out the side window.

Spencer opened a laptop which showed the view of a front door from inside of a home.

"Look at this," he called them over to his side. Scarlett looked down at the computer screen.

"It's a live feed," Reid told her as she scanned the video.

"So, who else is he watching?" she asked.

The clerk had held back, not wanting to get in the way of the agents. He stood beside where Morgan was looking at some pictures on the wall.

"That's Tanner…" he told Derek, pointing at the one picture of a man holding the little boy in the scrapbook photos. "That's the guy I'm covering for…" he repeated.

Reid looked over his shoulder to Morgan and saw him pull out his phone.

"Right, yes… he's the night clerk at the apartment complex where Ashley and Colin lived…" he was telling Hotch, as they reconvened at the local police station.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The sun was already starting to come up as Scarlett stood beside Reid, waiting to hear the details that Penelope had found.

Spencer saw the determination on her face along with fatigue. None of them had really been able to catch more than a few hours of sleep since the case started. He scowled slightly, seeing the dark circles under her eyes and tried to remember when she'd last eaten.

She noticed his scowl deepen and met his eyes with a question. He moved closer.

"When did you eat last?" he asked her, his voice holding concern and slight annoyance.

Scarlett shook her head and grinned. "I had a sandwich earlier today, Spence. Stop worrying about me," she teased him. "I won't starve to death…"

She cocked her brow at him as he drank more coffee. "When did _you_ eat last?" she asked cockily.

" _I_ just had a bagel… and you should go grab something too," he grinned down at her. "Now…" he nudged her towards the door.

Scarlett rolled her eyes but headed over to the coffee machine. She grabbed herself a cup- black- and also a muffin to keep Spencer off her back. She headed back into the office just as Garcia had called back with information.

"His name is Tanner Johnson, and life has not been kind," Penny stated.

"He lost a child, didn't he?" JJ asked.

"Last year, yeah. Ten year old son, Jeremy. According to reports, he was playing with a friend, they were fake wrestling , when Tanner a free-lance photographer slash night doorman stepped away to answer a phone call… when he got back Jeremy was unconscious and his friend was trying to revive him from a choke hold gone very, very wrong…"

"His son was strangled, that's why he uses the garrote," Hotch said.

"Jeremy was on life support for a few days, but he died…" Penny added.

"And Tanner blames himself. He stopped watching for a minute and he lost his son," Scarlett stated.

"So he hasn't stopped watching since," Rossi said. "The grief must have consumed him."

"It's a hell of a stressor," JJ agreed. "But what triggered the murders?"

"Garcia, what happened to Tanner's wife? Did the marriage survive?" Hotch asked.

"Umm," they heard her hitting keys on the computer. "Nope, she kicked him out two months ago- right before the killings started…"

JJ sighed. "So he loses his child, his wife and home. It's enough to make anyone unstable…"

"Add guilt to that, and it's all too much," Scarlett agreed. "He dissociated…"

"Paternal transference," Rossi stated. "He claimed the residence of the apartment building as his family."

"But we are missing something," Hotch stated. "Why is he documenting all of this?"

"We profiled he is running out of time… the book must have something to do with that…" Scarlett agreed. She looked over at the conference speaker when she heard Penny say 'oh, snap'…

"What is it Pens?"

"Hannah- Tanner's wife? She's pregnant…"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "That's who he's watching online," she stated.

"Garcia, when is the baby due?" Dave asked.

"Umm, yesterday…" she responded.

Scarlett opened one of the police department's laptops. "Pens, I'm going to open that live feed from Tanner's laptop…" she looked over at Reid.

"You read the feed's url, right?" she asked him. Spencer nodded, moving beside her to type in the address. When the camera loaded, she started scanning the feed, trying to find anything that would give them a location.

"Okay, I got it too," Penelope pulled the information into her own servers. "I'll try to find where it's coming from, and I'm pulling out Hannah's social media footprint… She was trying to hide from Tanner or someone, I think, because she's has firewalls everywhere and no identifiers… It's not easy…"

Scarlett saw Hannah enter the view of one of the cameras. She saw Tanner move behind her.

"I think she was staying with her brother, maybe?" Penelope was saying… "I'll send you his number…"

"No need, Pens, I see him…" Scarlett indicated with her finger, the body on the floor to the others.

"What, where?" Garcia looked over at her own feed. "Ugh, no…"

"Address, Baby Girl," Morgan told her. "Stay focused…"

"Right, okay, okay… I sent you the address; it matched where the feed is originating from…"

Spencer and Morgan took the SUV out front, and Scarlett moved with JJ to the other, trying to get a jump on Tanner.

Scarlett hooked her Bluetooth to the surround sound, opening the lines of communication between them and the others.

"Uh- he's not going to hurt Hannah or the baby, is he?" Penny asked as she watched the live feed.

"Not while she's pregnant with the baby- he has to protect it…" she told her friend.

"And after?" she asked. Scarlett looked over towards JJ.

"We'll get there before…" she responded.

They heard Hotch's voice over the link. "He thinks that by showing her the book, he can prove to her that he's strong enough to protect them…"

"But if she rejects that…" Rossi stated.

"Uh, then what?" Penelope worried.

JJ shook her head as she sped the vehicle up the street behind Morgan.

"Then no one is safe. Not even the child," she looked over at Scarlett.

"We are almost there. Morgan and Reid will reach the house ahead of us…" she told them. "We will take the back," she clarified to the guys.

"We are here, got the front, going in…" she heard Spencer's reply as they turned on to the block. She felt her chest tighten and slowed her breathing.

Morgan and Reid heard Hannah's screams from the front porch and didn't wait for Scarlett and JJ. Spencer stood back as Derek kicked in the door and followed him inside.

They saw Tanner standing behind the very pregnant woman, with scissors to her throat.

"Put it down!" Morgan shouted, holding his gun at Tanner's head. Spencer moved alongside him, his gun also trained on the man. Hannah screamed again and he could visibly see her stomach contract.

Spencer lowered his gun, trusting Derek to cover him as he spoke to Tanner.

"Tanner, think about what you're doing- you don't want anything to happen to the baby- not after what happened to Jeremy," he tried reasoning with the man.

Tanner held the scissors closer to Hannah's throat. "Get out of here!" he screamed.

"How far apart are your contractions, Hannah?" he asked as he lowered himself to the floor in front of her. He saw the spasms hit again.

"Constant," she screamed, panting heavily. Spencer looked back at Derek, rolling up his sleeves.

"The baby is coming now…" he told him.

Morgan held the gun on Tanner. "Look man, your baby is about to be born! We want to help you…"

"No! This is my baby! I have to be with him!"

Scarlett threw open the door to jump out of the vehicle even as JJ pushed the SUV into park. They heard the screams and ran to the back of the house, towards the back door. Through the window, they both saw Spencer pulling on gloves and heard him telling Hannah to be ready to push.

Scarlett's eyes widened in shock, as JJ opened her com-link. "We are going to need medics here…"

"They are already on the way," she heard Dave reply.

"Oh, my, God…" Scarlett moved through the back door, keeping her gun trained on the side of Tanner's head as she watched Reid instructing Hannah.

"I can't do this," Hannah cried, breathing too heavily.

"Come on, yes you can, just like with Jeremy," Tanner was saying.

"That's not helping!" Hannah cried.

Reid looked in Tanner's face.

"You have to let Hannah go. You are causing too much stress on her and the baby. She needs to start pushing right now or something could go wrong," he snapped at the man.

"No, I have to stay! I have to protect him!"

"Like you protected Ashley?" Morgan asked him.

"That was an accident," Tanner met Morgan's eyes.

"I know- and accidents happen… just like I know what happened with Jeremy was an accident," Morgan said.

Reid looked over his shoulder to Scarlett and caught her eyes. She could see he was planning something and stood her ground, her weapon trained on Tanner.

Morgan did the same.

"Guys, something is wrong… the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck…"

Scarlett could see Hannah's panic in her eyes.

"What?!" Hannah panted out on a strangled choke as her body contracted again.

Derek played along. "Do something, Reid…"

"I'm trying, I need, something to cut the cord, something sharp…" he said, keeping his gaze away from Tanner.

"Here, here!" Tanner shoved the scissors into Reid's hands and Morgan grabbed the man away from Spencer.

Scarlett felt the air rush back into her lungs.

"Hannah, listen to me, your baby is fine, it's okay- but you need to start pushing…" Spencer told the woman, reassuring her.

"Medics are on the way," Scarlett told Reid as she holstered her weapon and moved alongside him.

"It's too risky to move her now; we have to deliver the baby…"

 _He was going to deliver the baby?_ She hoped she was able to cover the shocked look on her face.

Scarlett moved to Hannah's side, trying to help as best she could.

"Okay, Hannah, deep breaths, keep pushing…" Spencer was saying. "Squeeze my hands if you have to, but bear down," he told the woman.

"I can see the head, come on, one more big push…"

Scarlett held her breath as she wrapped her arms around the woman's shoulders, leaning at her back to give her some leverage to push against. Her screams echoed through the home.

"Good, great, you've got it…" Reid grinned at Scarlett and wanted to laugh at how green her face had become.

"Changing your mind, darling?" he asked her, feeling euphoric as the baby entered the world into his hands, letting loose its first cry…

Scarlett saw him stand and take the newborn over to the medics who'd just arrived. She couldn't even find the words to describe how she felt seeing him holding the squalling infant in his arms.

When he brought the child back over to Hannah, she moved to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist, ignoring the fact they were surrounded by others and on a scene. She shook her head, looking up at him with awe in her eyes.

"No, farm boy, not at all," she told him, standing on her toes to set a kiss to his jaw. He held her closer, grinning down at her.

"I'm not looking to repeat that, though…." he told her. "I'd prefer a nice safe hospital," he smiled.

"And a lot of drugs," Scarlett made a face, still a bit pale after what she witnessed.

"Katy Scarlett, are you afraid of childbirth?" he teased her.

"Hell, yeah," she grimaced, looking over at JJ. "Did you have an easy time with Henry?" she asked her friend, suddenly worrying over the process.

"We were in a nice safe hospital," JJ laughed. "And there were drugs," she winked at Scarlett. "I'm going to take the same route this time," she told them with a smile, placing a hand over her stomach.

"What?!" Spencer released Scarlett to quickly hug JJ. "Really? I'm going to be a godfather again?" he asked.

Scarlett smiled, loving how Spencer reacted.

"Yup," JJ answered, hugging him back. "We just found out for sure, last week. I've been debating on how to tell you all," she laughed. "This seemed like as good a time as any…"

Scarlett reached over and hugged JJ too. "Mazal tov," she told her, rubbing her back lightly. "And blessed be, sister," she told her, kissing her cheeks.

"Thanks. I may be asking you for some of your teas," JJ told her. "Morning sickness is starting…"

"I'll mix some up as soon as we get home, sweetheart," she promised.

Reid put his arms around each of their shoulders, leading them from the house.

One of the medics stopped him as he stepped off the porch.

"Agent? Mrs. Johnson is asking to see you before we leave… Great job, by the way… she and the baby are doing fine…

"Uh, okay, thanks," he blushed slightly under the praise.

"Go ahead, guys… I'll tell Morgan you two will catch up," JJ said, heading over to where Derek was waiting by the SUV.

Heading around to the back of the ambulance, Scarlett followed Reid as he stuck his head in the door.

Hannah sat on the gurney, a soft smile on her face as she glanced up at Reid.

"Agent, I'm so glad they found you… I, I wanted to know your name," she told him, blushing slightly. "You know, for the baby… he should know the story about how he came into the world."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Spencer smiled. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," he told her, offering his hand. She clasped it lightly and drew his hand forward to touch the baby's head. Spencer let his fingers stroke across the downy hair lightly.

"He's beautiful," he told her. "And the medics said you both are doing great," he smiled at Hannah.

"All thanks to you," she stated softly. "I know you saved us- by tricking Tanner into handing over the scissors, I know that… and I wanted to thank you…"

"It's alright," Reid said, blushing again. "I just did what I needed to do…"

She caught his eyes and smiled. "Spencer is a nice name," she told him. "Would you mind if I used it?" she asked, looking down at the infant again.

"Uhh, really?" Spencer's blush deepened and Scarlett giggled, moving to take his hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Sure, yeah, no I don't mind… Wow," he stammered nervously, looking down at Hannah. "I'm honored…"

Hannah smiled, looking between him and Scarlett. "Thank you, again," she smiled down at the baby I her arms. "Spencer Johnson…" she said softly. "It sounds wonderful…"

"Yes it does," Scarlett agreed, leaning her cheek against Reid's shoulder. "Absolutely perfect…"


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Spencer nudged Scarlett slightly as she curled up against him on the couch.

"Hey, crazy girl…" he called her softly, not really wanting to wake her up. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and he was grateful to see the darkness under her eyes had lessened a bit after sleeping these past few hours.

"What?" she mumbled, turning her face into his chest and pressing closer.

"We're going to have to start getting ready if we want to make it to the Benjamin for the closing party."

"Ugh… What time is it?" was her muffled reply.

"It's seven now," he told her, looking at his watch. "Penelope told everyone to be there by nine…" he reminded her.

"Unless you don't want to go," he offered.

"What?" she picked her head up. "No, I want to go… I'm fine now," she told him. "I just needed a cat nap…"

Scarlett pulled herself up into a sitting position and stretched. Spencer didn't comment on how six hours seemed to be more than a 'catnap'… instead he pushed the pizza they had ordered towards her.

"Eat," he told her, moving to stand up. "I'm going to jump in the shower quick."

Scarlett grabbed the box and tore out a piece of the pie. "Maybe I want to get in the shower too," she grinned up at him, shoving a large bite in her mouth as she went to stand also…

He grinned, touched his fingers to her forehead and pushed her back on the couch.

"Eat first, shower after- I won't be long," he teased. He watched her scarf down more of the pizza, tucking her legs up under her as she sat back onto the couch.

"What?!" she asked, noticing the strange look on his face. She scrubbed her hand quickly around her mouth, thinking she had sauce on it.

Spencer shook his head and covered his thoughts with a smile. He ran his thumb across her chin, pretending to wipe at some crumbs.

"Missed," he joked, kissing her forehead lightly. "I'll be right back…"

Scarlett shrugged and continued eating, grabbing the remote and turning on the television.

She heard him turn on the water, debated over heading in after him or grabbing another slice. She scowled slightly at how worried he'd been lately over her, and decided to eat some more. She looked down at her abs, trying to see if it looked like she'd lost any weight. Standing up, she headed into the bedroom, carrying the pizza with her. She checked out her stomach in the full length mirror and couldn't see any reason for his concern.

If anything, she thought she looked like she was putting _on_ weight, she decided and reminded herself to add more time to her pilates.

Spencer came out of the bathroom, rubbing his head with a towel and found her scowling at the mirror. His heart bumped in his chest at he watched her.

"I don't know why you are complaining about me not eating," she snarked. "I'm getting a paunch," she stuck her tongue out at his reflection behind her.

He stopped rubbing his head and dropped his eyes from hers.

"You're perfect, Scarlett," he told her, heading over to his closet to pull out some clothes.

"So you say," she scoffed, looking at herself again. "I'm getting soft," she scowled, poking at her belly. "I need to put in some more training…"

Reid watched her as she turned and headed into the bathroom and let out the breath he'd been holding.

His mind ran through dates again and he felt his chest tighten once more.

He could be wrong, he reminded himself. He could have the dates wrong… and she was on the birth control shots for quite a while now which could cause side effects with missed menstrual cycles…

Plus, Scarlett didn't even seem to be considering the possibility…

Watching her strip through the open bathroom door, he focused in on the small rounded bump between her hips she'd just been complaining about… there was no way, with the dates in his head that she'd be showing signs yet…

So… he could be wrong… Right?

Spencer waited for her to finish getting ready, checking the time once again. When she appeared from the bedroom doorway, doing a quick spin in front of him, he smiled at her.

"You look gorgeous," he told her, taking her hand and eyeing up the black dress and heels. "I really should take you out more often," he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Mmm, I don't know- I kind of like my comfortable jeans and t-shirts, most of the time. Although it is nice to remind myself I am a girl…" she smirked, letting him kiss her exposed neck and down her bare shoulder.

"You don't need to remind me," he grinned, biting her lightly.

Scarlett laughed. "I hope not," she teased, pulling him closer and rubbing against him. Spencer growled lowly.

"Later, farm boy… we've got someplace to be right now," she teased.

"Right," he gave her a frustrated sigh, but smiled. "Later though, I get to undress you…"

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, following him out to his car.

When they reached the bar, the place was already packed. Reid found a parking spot near Penny's Cadillac and swung in, stepping over to open the passenger's door for Scarlett.

"It looks like a full house, I guess Penny's plan worked," she grinned.

"I heard she posted it all over Quantico… the bar is probably filled just with agents…" he agreed.

Scarlett entered the bar as he held the door for her again, and made a beeline through the crowd for the table where she saw her brother and Penny already sitting.

Rossi stood from his seat, offering Scarlett the high barstool.

"It is standing room only around here," he told her, catching Reid's eye. "I hear you were instrumental with making that happen," he raised his glass to Spencer.

He shrugged lightly, smiling at the team. "It was just a thought… Garcia handled all the details," he said.

"I am, if nothing else, the queen of all details," Penelope giggled.

"What will you have, sis?" Morgan said, offering to get them their drinks.

"Just soda for me," Scarlett shook her head at him when he raised his brows. "I just had pizza and it isn't sitting right," she complained.

JJ grinned over at her. "Nothing is sitting right for me," she teased.

"Oh, right," Scarlett reached into her purse and pulled out a mix of herbs for her friend. "This will help," she promised.

Morgan returned, handing Spencer a glass of bourbon and the soda for Scarlett. He saw Reid eye up the drink.

"Someone has to drink tonight," Derek teased, hitting his glass to Reid's. "The Benjamin is closing for good, and the alcohol is flowing freely…"

Hotch raised his glass to them. "Here's to Dr. Spencer Reid, who may be adding MD to his already impressive list of credentials," he grinned.

Scarlett touched her glass to his and smiled. "And to Spencer Johnson, may he prove to be a child prodigy as his namesake," she smiled, tucking her arm around Reid's shoulders and giving him a grin.

"You never did explain how on earth you knew what to do…" Penelope commented, eyeing him up over her cocktail.

"When JJ was pregnant with Henry, I memorized the delivery manuals, in case she went into labor in the field," he stated, giving JJ a grin. Jennifer laughed, shaking her head.

"Worry wart!" she chided him teasingly, shoving a handful of his hair over his face.

Spencer pushed it back and grinned good-naturedly.

"I have to admit, the practical application did not quite live up to the theory," he joked.

"Well, you did great, Spence," JJ said. "And if I go into labor in the field with this one…" she said with a shrug…

"Drive like hell to the nearest hospital?" Scarlett finished for her, raising her glass. JJ touched her glass to Katy's.

"You've got it sister!" she laughed.

"Alright, alright," Reid took the teasing graciously. "Tonight is not supposed to be about me… To Dave Rossi," he said, raising his glass to Dave.

"I still can't believe you guys went through all of this," Rossi shook his head.

"We wanted to make sure you got one last proper good-bye," Spencer informed his friend.

"And I may or may not have posted it all over the Quan-ti-co message boards, that the drinks tonight were on you," Penny teased.

"Ah, and they are indeed," Dave grinned. "Thank you very much…"

"Oh, but that's not all," Hotch caught Rossi's eyes and looked over his shoulder at the karaoke stage. "I don't believe that all of the team has heard you sing?"

"And there is a very good reason for that…" Dave rolled his eyes as he heard Helen's voice over the microphone, calling him to the stage.

"David Rossi, get your ass up here and sing us out already," Helen said.

He stepped up on stage and raised his glass to the crowd. "To all the wonderful memories that have happened inside these walls," Dave said into the microphone as "Piano Man" by Billy Joel started to play.

"And if you think I am going to do this alone, you're nuts…. Scarlett, Penelope, JJ, Reid, get up here.

Scarlett slid from the bar stool and dragged Spencer along behind her. Penelope hopped up onstage beside Dave and passed a microphone to Reid. He held it closer to Scarlett with a grin.

"C'mon, D," she shouted over to Morgan, but he just laughed and waved his hands. Hotch pulled out his phone to record the moment.

They sang the lyrics, slightly off key, and played around on the stage in front of the crowd.

Penny called out into the microphone, hamming it up.

"What time is it?" she asked as the words started.

 _It's nine o'clock on a Saturday  
The regular crowd shuffles in  
There's an old man sitting next to me  
Making love to his tonic and gin_

"What did he say?"

 _He says, "Son can you play me a memory_

"How does it go?"

 _I'm not really sure how it goes  
But it's sad and it's sweet  
And I knew it complete_

"When?!"

 _When I wore a younger man's clothes"_

 _Sing us a song you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feeling alright_

"Morgan, get up here…" Reid called out to his brother-in-law when Scarlett and Penelope started rocking against him, making him sway.

Derek laughed but went onstage to help. He moved beside Spencer and started swaying also. Scarlett giggled at the look of exasperation on Spencer's face. He rolled his eyes, nabbing her around her hips and started to dance with her on the small stage. Scarlett threw back her head and laughed heartily.

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine  
He gets me my drinks for free  
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke  
But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"  
As a smile ran away from his face  
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star  
If I could get out of this place"

Now Paul is a real estate novelist  
Who never had time for a wife  
And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy  
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics  
As the businessmen slowly get stoned  
Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness  
But it's better than drinking alone

Sing us a song you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday  
And the manager gives me a smile  
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see  
To forget about life for a while

And the piano sounds like a carnival  
And the microphone smells like a beer  
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar  
And say "Man what are you doing here?"

Sing us a song you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feeling alright

Scarlett looked up into Spencer's eyes, seeing his face alight with happiness.

"I love you Spencer Reid," she told him, her own smile covering her face.

He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers and watched her eyes.

"As I love you, Scarlett Reid… _Pour tous les temps_ …"

She laughed as he picked her up and swung her around in a small circle as the song ended.

* * *

 _I hope everyone has enjoyed "Loving Scarlett" as much as I have enjoyed writing it... Please leave reviews, even if you have to go back to do so... I enjoy reading them so very much and love to hear your input! I am currently working on "Holding Scarlett" and hope to have it in for beta reading soon... although I had a bit of a stumbling block... I had to go in for an emergency appendectomy! But I am in full recovery now, and feel much better, using the mandated downtime to write my heart out and tell Spencer and Scarlett's story! Much love to all! Blessed be! ~Becky_


	47. Post view

Hello readers! Thank you all for taking the time to read my stories and leave reviews! I appreciate and respect every one of them, and they help keep the stories in file so others can find and read them! So please post a brief comment on each chaper, even if you choose to go back after reading! It will help my words stay relevant and I greatly appreciate your help. Much love! Stay tuned for the final chapters of part 7 coming up, and I've started on part 8, yet to be named! All my love, and brightest blessings! ~Becky ?ￂﾠ


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